Vin-dication
by charli911
Summary: Vin decides to head to Tascosa to clear his name. Previously posted at Lady Angel's
1. Chapter 1

VIN-DICATION

By Charli911 & Larabee

Completed 30 Jan 02

/

This is an Old West story which directly follows Sins of the Past

Spoilers: Sins of the Past, Once Day Out West, Witness

Disclaimer: The boys belong to other people, like Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide, and Hallmark Channel.

/

**_CHAPTER 1_**

Vin Tanner watched the wagon pull away, carrying the body of Eli Joe. His antagonist was dead, shot by Chris Larabee, in order to save Vin's life. And along with the corpse went Vin's best hope for vindication, lost in the dust left behind. When he'd heard that shot on the roof and felt Eli Joe stiffen from the bullet's strike, his mind took a moment to grasp the consequences. It wasn't until Eli Joe toppled back and fell to the boardwalk below that the full impact of that one shot struck the tracker and he'd sagged against the wood beside him.

Glancing around him, he saw Larabee standing at the door of the saloon. Chris hesitated, looking back at Vin. He briefly closed his eyes and lowered his head before pushing his way through the batwing doors into the dark interior. Vin sighed and rubbed his eyes. He knew that Chris felt bad about killing Eli Joe. But Tanner couldn't fault him, since the gunslinger had fired to save Vin. Taking one last glance at the buckboard carrying Eli Joe, the tracker turned and started toward the saloon. He needed a drink and was positive that his friend would share a bottle of whiskey with him.

Vin sat down next to Chris, who pushed a full shot glass toward him. Tanner picked it up and downed the fiery liquid.

"Sorry, Cowboy," Chris said softly.

"For what, saving my life?"

"I know you were counting on him to help clear your name."

"Jest have to find another way." He shrugged and poured another drink from the almost full bottle in front of him.

"Mary said the judge will be here day after tomorrow to try the rest of his gang." Vin nodded and that was all the conversation the two men needed for the moment. Buck and Ezra soon joined them and the foursome played a half-heartened game of poker.

JD found them all later in the hotel having dinner and let Chris know he'd wired authorities in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico about Eli Joe's death. All three states had wanted posters on the man and the Four Corners peacekeepers needed to know if they would have to haul the dead man's body somewhere for verification of his demise. Hopefully, the towns would be satisfied with the Sheriff's word that the man was dead and not force them to cart a corpse around just for someone to look at him and say "Yep, that's Eli Joe."

After dinner, the men walked outside. Vin headed for the livery to get his horse, since he'd promised Buck he'd take his night patrol. He'd spoken even less than usual at their shared meal. And he just waved at them as he walked away.

"Maybe I should go with him," Buck suggested to Chris. The gunslinger lit a cheroot before he answered.

"No, Buck, leave 'im be. He needs some time alone right now. His last chance to clear his name is gone, by my hand. He needs to come to terms with that. He always does that best alone. He'll be okay."

"Yeah, I reckon you're right. All the same, I think I'll keep a watch out in town tonight, just in case."

Chris placed his hand on Buck's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "You're a good man, Buck. Thanks." He started to walk away.

"Hey, pard," Buck called. Chris turned around, but didn't meet Buck's gaze. "This wasn't your fault. You do know that, don't you? Anyone of us would have done the same thing in your spot, including Vin."

Chris looked at his oldest friend. "That's what everyone keeps telling me…including Vin," he chuckled. "But it's still hard to look him in the eye and know that my actions could one day cause him to hang."

"He don't blame you."

"I blame myself, Buck."

"Chris, if need be, I'll go to Tascosa with you to fix this. I hope you know that."

Larabee smiled. "I know. I just wish I knew how to fix it." He stood there for a few more seconds without speaking. "I'll be in the saloon," he finally said.

Buck just nodded and watched his friend walk away. He felt sad at the turn of events. Just a few hours ago, all seven men were optimistic that they would find and capture the fugitive, giving Tanner a chance to take the man to Tascosa and hopefully prove that Eli Joe actually killed that farmer. They'd been elated to be able to help their friend try to rectify a huge mistake.

God, for Vin to be free of that albatross, to be able to live his life without constantly looking over his shoulder; Buck would give anything to have been able to help his friend gain that freedom. Dammit! The man had been through enough shit in his life. Losing his ma so young and having to make do on his own. Losing his second family when the Army dragged him away from the Indian tribe that had taken him in. It was enough bad things for one lifetime.

It was time for things to start getting better for him. Buck's gaze fell on the jail, where the fake Marshall and his cohorts were locked up. Buck looked forward to their trial for almost killing Vin. He couldn't wait for Judge Travis to arrive and dole out a little justice on the group. Buck grinned at that thought and went to join JD.

/

Vin Tanner was in the jail taking his turn on duty while Chris and the others had lunch with Judge Travis. The judge had arrived on the morning stage and had wanted to talk to all the men about the events during that week. Vin had opted out, knowing that the others would give the judge a fair accounting. He knew he'd have to speak with Travis eventually, but just didn't feel up to doing it that morning.

"Hey, Tanner."

"What do you want, Yates?" Vin asked without turning around and looking at the man who had almost hung him while impersonating a US Marshall.

"How does it feel to know you'll never be able to clear your name now?" the man smirked. Tanner just ignored him, going back to cleaning his Mare's Leg. He'd spent most of the last two days thinking about how he could clear his name now that Eli Joe was dead. He hadn't been able to sleep and just wanted to forget it for a while, although he knew that wouldn't be possible.

"C'mon, Tanner, how does it feel to know that someday you're gonna hang?"

"Why don't you tell us, Yates," Chris Larabee said as he walked in the door, followed by the Judge and Buck Wilmington. "Seeing how that's what you're facing. And a whole lot sooner than Tanner."

"Maybe. But at least when I hang it'll be for crimes I actually committed." The outlaw's laughter was cut short when Chris slammed his hand against the bars of the cell.

"What do you know about it, Yates?" he growled.

"Eli Joe told me all about setting up Tanner. It was a stroke of genius. Actually, it didn't work out quite like he planned. He figured Tanner would just take the body in and get his money. Not only would Tanner quit dogging Eli Joe, but so would every other bounty hunter, since word would get 'round that he was dead."

"I guess he didn't count on the sheriff recognizing Jess Kincaid," Vin said quietly.

"Yeah, but when he heard you'd been arrested and that the judge planned to hang you, he decided to stick around to celebrate your neck-stretching." Yates laughed at the tracker. "He wanted a front row seat, so's he could laugh as you twitched at the end of the rope."

Larabee reached for the cell keys, his purpose to get into the cell and wrap his hands around the throat of the man who was gloating at the expense of his friend.

"Chris, hold on." Larabee turned to face Travis, who was approaching the cell. He addressed the man behind the bars. "Young man, were you with this Eli Joe when he killed that man?"

"What's it to you, old man?"

"Answer the damn question," Larabee snarled, moving up behind the Judge and laying a hand on the butt of his gun. His eyes bore into the man like a predator on prey. Buck and Vin exchanged slight grins when Yates took a step back from the deadly glare.

"He…he told me about it. I wasn't there. I didn't start riding with him until six months ago." Yates eyes darted back to the Judge and he swallowed. "I swear, I didn't have anything to do with him killing that man. But Eli Joe liked to brag about how he got a bounty put on the head of the bounty hunter. He always said that Tanner was the best bounty hunter he'd ever seen; the only one that ever got close to catching him. That's why he decided to get him out of the way."

"Now, that don't surprise me," Wilmington said. "The outlaws usually know who the best lawmen are. Knowing the men that's chasing 'em is the best way to stay alive."

Chris nodded. "And we all know what kinda tracker Vin is. I'm not surprised Eli Joe would go to such extremes to get free of him."

"Any of you others ever hear this story?" Travis asked the other men in the cells.

"Hell most of us have," another man spoke up from the other cell. "Eli Joe was real proud of what he did to Tanner. I'm guessing the only ones who didn't know that Tanner didn't kill that man are the stupid lawmen who posted the bounty." He started to smile until Larabee looked at him. A grimace replaced the smile as his gaze dropped to the floor.

The judge nodded his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Buck, could you go get the others?" Wilmington didn't question the judge's politely requested order, just turned and strode out of the jail, intent on rounding up his fellow peacekeepers.

"Judge, what's going on?" Chris asked quietly.

Travis looked at him and grinned. "Chris, Vin, I could use a drink. And I'm buying. Join me?"

"What about the prisoners?"

"They'll keep, Vin. Come on, there's something I want to talk to you all about." The gunslinger and the tracker exchanged puzzled looks, then shrugged and followed the Judge toward the door.

"Don't go away boys," Chris teased the prisoners before he closed and locked the door behind him.

The others joined them as they reached the saloon doors and made their way to the back of the room. The table had quickly become the unofficial property of the seven men and whenever they entered, anyone sitting there was 'encouraged' to find a chair elsewhere. The Judge asked Inez to bring over a bottle of her finest whiskey and eight glasses. He poured a drink for everyone, then set the bottle back on the table. He took a sip while the others exchanged confused glances. He smiled at them and gestured at them to drink up.

"Okay, Judge, I'm intrigued. What was that all about?" Chris asked.

Travis put down his glass and wiped his hand across his lips. He leaned forward and looked around at the men sitting with him. "Yates said that Eli Joe told all of his men how he set Vin up. I want to find out how much those men in the jail know about the killing of that farmer, what was his name?"

"Jess Kincaid," Tanner supplied.

"Kincaid, yes. You, young sheriff," he said, addressing JD Dunne, "I want you to send a wire to Tascosa for me, find out who the circuit judge is that covers that area. And ask what the sheriff's name is. In the meantime, I want the rest of you boys, except you Vin, to question those men in the jail. Take them out, one at a time, away from the jail. Ask them what this Eli Joe told them. Get as much detail as you can. Take notes on what they tell you. See if any of them were riding with Eli Joe when all this happened."

"Judge, I don't understand. What good will that do?" Buck asked.

"If everything goes as I hope, it may help establish Vin's innocence."

Tanner had been silent, leaning back in his chair, rolling his glass between his fingers. It had riled him that those men in the jail had started laughing about what that murderer had done to him. But he sat up at the Judge's statement. He glanced first at the Judge than at Larabee. What was Travis saying? Was there really a chance to clear his name and get this bounty off his head? He shook his head. No, it wouldn't pay to get his hopes up. With Eli Joe dead, how the hell would they be able to prove who'd killed Kincaid? No judge would take the word of a man who'd run from the law.

The others had started to laugh and hit each other on the back anticipating an end to Tanner's long ordeal, until Larabee looked at the tracker.

"Vin, why the look of gloom?" Chris asked. "This is great news! What's wrong?" The others halted their premature celebration, their smiles and laughter sliding away at the look on Tanner's face.

"Nothing…it's just…Judge, do you really think that what those men say will matter to the judge and sheriff in Tascosa? I mean, those guys in the jail, they're not really upstandin' citizens. What if the judge don't believe 'em? What if he don't believe me?" Tanner didn't dare get his hopes up, fearing he'd still wind up at the end of a rope when all was said and done. He'd carried this burden with him for several years already and would do it for several more if it kept him from swingin' from a hangman's noose.

"That's why I want them to be questioned separately. I want to see how their stories match up. And while the boys are talking to them, you and I are going to sit here and go over everything you remember about this incident. I don't want you to hear their stories, and I don't want them to hear what each other has to say beforehand. Somehow we need to keep them from talking to each other until we've had the chance to question them all."

"You let us handle that, Judge," Chris told him. "We'll find a way, won't we boys?" He smiled at the others, a feral grin matched by each of his friends.

Tanner looked around at the men around the table. He had trusted these men with his life on several occasions since they'd come together to save the Seminole village. And Judge Travis was willing to believe that he was innocent. Had believed it even before hearing what Yates had to say. This man, a tough, well-respected judge, who had spent years separating truth from lies, believed that Vin Tanner was innocent. He believed that Tanner didn't kill Jess Kincaid, without even seeing any evidence for or against.

It humbled Vin, knowing that these men supported his quest to clear his name. Men that he respected, that he would willingly die for, men who would do the same for him. He saw the hope in the faces around him and knew that he would take this chance. He would let these men help him. He allowed himself to hope along with them.

He locked eyes with Larabee, reading in them the vow to stick by him and see this thing through to the end. He saw the promise that Chris would not let him hang, no matter what the gunslinger had to do to prevent it. Chris would not let his friend die that way.

A smile appeared on Larabee's lips. Vin returned it. They nodded at each other, then Chris picked up the bottle and refilled everyone's glass. He lifted his and looked at Tanner.

"To justice," he said.

"Justice," the others echoed and downed their drinks.

"Right, let's get started." Chris slammed his glass onto the table and stood up, followed by the others. "We'll get what you need, Cowboy," he told Tanner. "Count on it." He nodded and walked out the door.

"This is gonna be fun!" Buck cackled and chased after him. "Chris, wait up. I got this great idea!"

"Well, I reckon we best join them. Don't want those two to have all the fun," Josiah said. He slapped Vin on the shoulder and followed them out, Nathan on his heels.

"We'll keep you informed," the healer said as he walked out.

"Well, Mr. Dunne," Ezra said as he stood and adjusted his vest and coat. "I do believe we should join our comrades if we wish to partake in the merriment that our hirsute friend has in store for those poor incarcerated souls. Mr. Tanner, Judge Travis, I daresay, I look forward to this bit of subterfuge and am honored to be a part of the imminent release of Mr. Tanner from his unfortunate status as a wanted man. Gentleman." He turned and walked away.

"Ah, what he said," JD muttered before departing the saloon.

"Well, Vin, it's just you and me now. Let me get paper and pencil and we'll get started."

/

Chris and Buck escorted one of the gang through the door of the building, then pulled off the blindfold that had covered his eyes.

"What are we doing here? I thought you just wanted to ask me some questions."

"Oh, we do, we do," Buck assured him. "But you see, we have a few others things to do as well, so we thought we'd question you while we do them."

The man looked around him at the small office. Buck was looking in the drawers of the desk along the back wall. The man turned and saw Chris Larabee leaning against the wall near the door.

He licked his lips when he saw Larabee remove his firearm from his holster. Chris pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped the dust off the barrel, stroking it slowly. He looked up and smiled at the man, whose hands were tied in front of him making it difficult for him to wipe off the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. Chris chuckled lightly, before twirling the pistol once and returning it to its holster.

"Hah, found it!" Buck exclaimed, making the man jump. Wilmington walked back over and slapped the man on the back. "Now we can get started. Chris, why don't you start."

"What's your name?" the gunfighter asked quietly.

"M..my name?"

"I guess you're starting out with too tough a question," Buck suggested with a laugh, slapping the man on the back. "How about this one—how tall are you?"

"Tall?" the man asked, confused.

"Oh, never mind, we'll just check it ourselves." Buck flipped his wrist and a measuring tape unrolled toward the floor. "Stand straight, now, we don't want you to be cramped in the hereafter." Buck moved behind the man.

"Answer my question," Larabee said, lightly a cheroot. The man's attention was split between Chris' deathly quiet voice and Buck's frantic moves around him. Wilmington pulled the measuring tape along the man's shoulders. Then he jotted something down on a piece of paper he'd pulled from his pocket.

"Your name?" Chris asked again.

"Ah, Granger. Matthew Granger. What the hell are you doing?" he asked Buck.

"Oh, just ignore me. Earl's at lunch, so I thought I'd just help him out and get your measurements."

"When did you start riding with Eli Joe?"

"About two months ago," Granger said while twisting and turning, trying to keep Wilmington in his sight.

"What did he tell you about the day he killed Jess Kincaid?"

"Who?"

"Jess Kincaid. The farmer he killed in order to set up Vin Tanner."

"Oh, that. Look, it was no big deal. He knew Tanner was coming after him. He stopped to hide out for a bit. He said this Kincaid fella tried to stop him from stealing a horse. After he killed him, he noticed that the dead guy looked a bit like him. So he changed clothes with him, left all his horse and all his stuff behind, and took off."

Larabee gestured for him to continue.

"Nothing else to say really. He said he left his saddlebags, even changed boots with the guy, cuz he knew Tanner was smart enough to notice things like that."

Buck wrapped the measuring tape around Granger's chest.

"Hey, back off! What are you doing?" The man pushed Wilmington away from him. Buck just smiled at him and walked into a back room. "Look, I don't know what y'all want from me?"

"Earl needs your measurements," Buck said as he carried a wood box into the room and set it on the floor.

"Who's Earl?"

"The undertaker."

"Why would he need my…?" Granger looked around at the coffin. Fear caused his flight toward the front door. "Let me out of here!" he yelled as Larabee grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the center of the room. "Look, I'll answer anything you want, just let me out of here," he pleaded. "I promise I'll tell you anything you wanna know, anything."

Wilmington had again gone into the back room and brought out another coffin, this one on a table with wheels.

"Well, Buck?"

"Now, Chris, you know that Ezra is betting on how long these boys last. We can't let this one quit early. The others all lasted at least twice as long. Hell, that second guy didn't crack until we put the lid on the coffin he was trying out. How about it, there, Granger? Don't you want to beat out your buddies?" While Buck was talking he was loosening the lid on the coffin.

"They ain't my buddies, I just ride with them, to get some money. Look, I never killed anyone. I robbed a couple wagons, but never killed no one." Buck grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the coffin on the table. Granger resisted, trying to pull out of Buck's grasp only to bump into Larabee who had moved to stand behind him.

"I think this one will work, Chris," Buck said. "Let's see if he'll fit." Wilmington flipped the lid back at the same time Larabee pushed Granger closer to the coffin, forcing him to stumble against the table. The outlaw put out his hands to stop his forward motion. His palms rested against the edge of the wooden box and his eyes naturally looked inside.

He screamed and backed away. "NO! Let me out of here! OH, GOD!" Granger fell to the ground and scampered away until he backed into the wall and couldn't go any further.

Buck and Chris looked at the frightened man then into the already occupied coffin. "Oops, guess we can't use this one. Looks like Eli Joe has prior claim to it," Buck declared. "But, don't worry, Granger, we'll be sure Earl gets you one just as nice."

"Anything, I'll tell you anything," Granger was muttering. "Just get me out of here."

Just then the door opened up. JD and Ezra walked in. Standish pulled out his pocket watch. "Pitiful, just pitiful. Seven minutes. That's the shortest one yet. Either criminals are getting weaker or you gentleman have perfected your craft even more than I had anticipated. Shall we take this whimpering mass of humanity off your hands?"

"Buck, you want to help JD with tough guy there," Chris said.

"Sure. C'mon boy," he said as he and the sheriff lifted the man from the floor. "Let's get you somewhere where you don't ruin the floor when you wet your britches."

After the three men left, Chris walked out with Ezra.

"Have you learned anything more?" Standish asked.

"More of the same really. Nathan and Josiah finished with Yates yet?"

"I believe they were in the final stages of the interrogation."

"I'll head over there and see what they found out."

Ezra touched the bill of his hat and followed Buck and JD down the street toward the boarding house. They would finish questioning Granger in Chris' room.

/

"…and this one is used to probe. Ya see, I stick this in the wound and find the bullet, then after I find it, I take this instrument and yank that bullet right out." Chris could hear Nathan explaining the extraction procedure as he walked up the stairs.

He walked up to find Yates sitting in a chair by the window, his hands tied behind him, his back to the door. Nathan sat in a chair across from him, a small table between them. On the table sat Nathan's surgical instruments. Probes and tweezers and scalpels spread across a clean white cloth. Behind Yates stood Josiah, the scraping sound of his large hunting knife scraping against a whetstone punctuating Nathan's commentary.

"Look, I already told you what Eli Joe told me about that day. I don't know what else you want from me."

Larabee crossed the room quietly and picked up one of the scalpels. "Hmm, I do like a man who keeps his equipment in perfect working condition. What do you think, Josiah?"

"I believe you are correct, Brother," Josiah replied as he took his own knife and placed along the side of Yates' throat. "Shall we compare edges?"

Chris lay the scalpel along the other side. Yates froze, afraid to move either way. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. Chris leaned over and smiled at Yates, their faces only inches apart.

"Well, what's your opinion, 'Marshal', is one blade sharper than the other?" When the man didn't respond, Larabee continued. "You know, I've seen Nathan's work miracles with this blade. He's saved the lives of all my men at least once. Of course, he has other knives that are used in less 'medicinal' ways. He has this one blade that could slice through a man's neck in one fell swoop." As he said that, Chris pulled the scalpel away from Yates' neck and quickly swiped it in front of his face, causing the man to gasp and pulled away from him. Josiah had to pull his blade away to avoid cutting the man's neck.

Larabee moved the scalpel back towards Yates' face, the tip of the blade almost touching his eyeball. "Don't move, now. We wouldn't want you to poke your eye out. Don't want you to trip up the steps to the gallows cuz ya can't see to walk, now do we?"

Yates began to tremble, his body shaking so hard that the chair began to move.

"What do you want from me?"

"Tell me what Eli Joe told you about Vin Tanner?"

"Said he was a bounty hunter that had been after Eli for a couple years. Came close to catching him once or twice."

"And?"

"And what?"

Chris just raised an eyebrow and pressed a little harder on the blade.

"Awright, awright! He was tired of Tanner dogging 'im. He said when they got near Tascosa he was just looking to get a fresh horse so he could make it into Mexico."

"And he found one?" Josiah asked from the other side.

"Yeah. He said his horse had gone lame so he was walking him. He heard someone coming up behind him. Turns out it was that Kincaid guy. He killed him and took his horse."

"What else?" Chris asked. Kincaid looked up at him then and shuddered at the almost maniacal gleam in Larabee's eyes. He swallowed hard, feeling the blades against his throat.

"Don't know what you mean," he said, his voice squeaking. He tried to lick his lips but his mouth was so dry he had no spit.

"Chris asked you a question, Mr. Yates," Nathan said. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Nothing, I swear! Eli said he fought the guy. He ended up shooting him, then took his clothes and his horse and lit out for Mexico. That's all I know!"

Chris nodded and handed the scalpel back to Nathan. "Keep talking to him. I want to see how Vin's doing." Nathan nodded. Chris gestured for Josiah to follow him to the door.

"What is it, Chris?"

"Find out if he knows anyone who was riding with Eli Joe during the time Kincaid was killed. And get details about what Eli Joe told him what went down that day."

"Alright." Josiah watched the gunslinger leave, then returned to the interrogation.

"Now, then Mr. Yates, finish your story. Tell us everything that Eli Joe told you….."

/

Three days later, four of the peacekeepers were on their way to Tascosa, along with Judge Travis, Yates, and Granger. The other prisoners were scheduled to be picked up by the prison wagon and transported to Yuma Territorial prison after a jury found them guilty of the charges in Four Corners.

Josiah, Nathan and JD would stay in Four Corners. None of them were happy about it, but someone had to watch the town and there was no way Chris would stay behind when Vin was facing trial for murder. And Larabee thought that Ezra and Buck would be most helpful in talking to townsfolk in Tascosa.

Travis planned to act as Vin's counsel and it was his idea to bring the two prisoners along as witnesses. Even though they had the men's statements, he thought it best to have them personally tell the jury what Eli Joe had told them. He only hoped it didn't backfire on Vin. It was a risk depending on outlaws to tell the truth. And it was a risk that a jury might not believe men who were known to lie, steal and kill for a living.

They knew it would be several days ride to Tascosa. The circuit judge was due in town the next week, which would give the men a few days to get their bearings and try to ferret out witnesses who were in town during the incident. Before they'd left, Judge Travis had deputized Chris, Buck and Ezra, hoping that the people of Tascosa would talk to lawmen easier than not.

According to Tanner, Ezekiel Butler had been sheriff when Jess Kincaid had been killed. But apparently he was no longer there. Nobody knew what that meant for Vin's case. But Tanner was ready to have it over with. He was tired of constantly looking over his shoulder and being leery of every stranger who crossed his path. And this time, he not only had the support of his friends, but the expertise of a judge. He knew it might still end with his death, but he had no doubt that these men would do everything they could to prove his innocence. This was his best shot at proving his innocence.

Chris Larabee rode up next to Vin, who had been quiet all morning. Well, quieter than usual.

"You doing okay, Cowboy?" Tanner glanced over at this friend and gave him a small smile.

"Yeah. A little nervous, but I want it done."

"I can understand that. The Judge thinks you got a pretty good chance. And he knows Judge Fuller's reputation. Says he's tough, but fair. He'll listen to all the evidence before he makes a decision."

"Yeah. I wonder about this Sheriff Michaels though. He wasn't there before. Sheriff Butler was the one who arrested me."

"That could be a good thing. You almost got lynched last time. Hopefully this sheriff has a better handle on things. And if Butler knew Kincaid he probably wasn't real anxious to see you go to trial just to be found innocent."

"Yeah, he didn't seem real inclined to get in the way of those folks wantin' to string me up."

"Vin, just remember, you're not alone this time. If we have to, Buck, Ezra and I will guard the jail ourselves."

"I appreciate that more than you could ever know." Chris nodded and the men rode on in silence.

/

A few days later, the group stopped on a hill overlooking Tascosa.

"It's grown a bit since I was here," Vin remarked. He sighed and gestured at the prisoners. "I guess we should get these two into town."

"Actually, I think it might be best if we wait 'til morning," Chris said. "I thought we might let Ezra go on in tonight, separately, see what he can pick up before we arrive. If folks don't know we're together, they might tell him things they wouldn't tell us. We'll head into town tomorrow morning."

"I concur, Mr. Larabee," Standish agreed. "I do not relish spending another night sleeping in the dirt. I shall procure a room in the local hotel, get a hot bath and good meal, and then venture to the saloon and …"

"…and entice the locals into a game of chance in an effort to lighten their wallets and loosen their tongues," Chris finished for him, with a smirk. "I thought you'd like that Ezra. Just be sure to be up when we arrive in the morning. It'll be early."

"Hell, if I know Ezra, he won't have made it to bed yet," Buck said.

"On the contrary, Mr. Wilmington. I will endeavor to turn in early, so that I may be witness to your arrival. Mr. Tanner, I won't have much contact with you over the next few days. I wish you good luck. And rest assured that even though I won't be with you, I will be nearby to assist Mr. Larabee and Mr. Wilmington if any of the citizens of this dusty metropolis should deem to see harm come to you."

"Thanks, Ezra. It means a lot that y'all are willing to do this for me." He reached out a hand and grasped Ezra's forearm, a gesture he usually reserved only for Chris Larabee. Ezra knew the significance of the move and accepted the emotions behind it.

"Mr. Tanner..Vin..I know that you would do the same for me. That's what friends do for one another." He released Vin's arm. "Gentleman, I will be in touch."

"Watch your back, Ezra," Chris reminded him.

"Always, Mr. Larabee. Always. And I'll watch yours as well." He touched the brim of his hat and started off down the hill.

"Let's make camp," Chris said.

/

"Judge, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Vin." The two men and Chris were sitting around the campfire drinking coffee. Dinner was over and Buck had volunteered to take first watch. He'd tied the prisoners to a tree and settled himself down where he could watch both them and the surrounding area.

"Why are you doing this? I mean, don't get me wrong, I 'preciate it. I just wonder why you'd go to all this trouble for me."

Travis was surprised at the question. He glanced over a Larabee, who just shrugged, a little curious himself that Travis would travel all the way to Tascosa with them. The judge finished his coffee before answering the tracker.

"There are a couple reasons, Vin. First and foremost, I truly believe that you are innocent. Although, if I'd known that you were a wanted man when I first hired you, I probably would have thrown you in jail. But I didn't find out until a few months later."

"I 'm kinda glad about that," Tanner said with a small smile.

"Me, too. Anyway, I found out about the bounty on you when Mary mentioned it one day in passing." At the look on Vin's face, the judge was quick to defend his daughter-in-law. "Now, don't blame Mary. She thought I already knew about it. When she learned that I didn't, she begged me to think before I did anything rash. She pointed out everything you'd done for the town. And reminded me, specifically, how you'd helped bring my son's murderers to justice. I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Thank you. But couldn't you lose your job if someone had found out that you knew I was wanted and didn't arrest me?"

"Yes, there was that chance. But I trust Mary's judgment, always have. She saw something in you and I realized that I'd seen it too, when you helped Chris and the others go after Lucas James. The more I got to know you, the more I began to doubt that you could have killed that man just for a bounty. If you wanted money that badly, you wouldn't have stuck around Four Corners for just a dollar a day."

Chris snorted. "Plus room and board," he reminded the judge. "It's the food that keeps him in town, Judge." Vin shook his head at his friend's joke.

"Vin, suffice it to say, I believe you are innocent. Just about everyone that I've spoken to in Four Corners has nothing but good things to say about you. Actually, I was rather surprised that so many people knew about the bounty and just didn't care. They knew that it had to be a mistake, that you just couldn't murder a man in cold blood. Kill in defense of your life or someone else's? Yes, faster that a rattlesnake can strike. But kill an unarmed man for a bounty? No one believes that. Not me, or Mary, or Mrs. Potter, or Nettie Wells. And when that young niece of hers, Casey, heard Nettie and I talking about it, I thought that I was going to be tarred and feather for even speaking such blasphemy! She's very fond of you, as are many of the townsfolk."

"Casey's a good kid. I look at her like my little sister."

"When we walked in the jail the other day and heard what Yates said, I knew it was the best chance we might get to clear up this whole mess."

"The judge and I talked all during lunch about what happened with Eli Joe," Chris interjected. "He'd already agreed to help, even before Yates' little statement."

Vin closed his eyes, then so quietly that Chris could hear him only because he was sitting next to him, he said, "It's good to have so many friends." Chris nodded his agreement.

/


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER 2_**

The next morning, the group rode into town and up to the front of the jail. Buck and Chris helped the prisoners dismount, since they had their hands tied to their saddles. As they stepped onto the boardwalk a man exited the jailhouse. He was tall, with a stocky build and slight limp. His dark hair was cut short and the mustache neatly trimmed. He wore his handgun with confidence rather than arrogance. And he wore a star on his shirt.

"Morning. I'm Sheriff Michaels. Can I help you fellas?"

Vin stepped up to the lawman. He'd removed his weapons and given them to Larabee before they'd entered town, not wanting to relinquish them to a stranger. "Can we talk inside, Sheriff?"

Michaels looked at the others, seeing that two of them had their wrists tied, and gestured for them to follow him back into his office. Buck closed the door after they were all in.

"Okay, now, how can I help you?"

The tracker took a deep breath. "My name is Vin Tanner. You have a wanted poster on me for a murder that was committed here a couple of years ago."

Michaels narrowed his eyes and lay a hand on his sidearm, but didn't draw it from the holster. "You turning yourself in?"

"That's what he's doing, Sheriff," Chris said. "Any chance we could put these other two in the cell there while we talk?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Chris Larabee."

"Larabee? I know you, or at least your reputation. Is he one of your prisoners?"

"No, he's a friend."

"I see. And the rest of your friends?"

"Buck Wilmington and Judge Orrin Travis," Chris introduced the others.

Michaels raised an eyebrow in the Judge's direction, but Travis didn't say anything.

"And these two?"

"Yates and Granger here are our prisoners. They're here for Tanner's trial."

"But Tanner ain't your prisoner?" The Sheriff was confused to say the least. Buck laughed, causing everyone to look his way.

"Maybe we should get these boys locked up, then sit down and explain everything to the good Sheriff here."

"Good idea. May we?" Chris asked.

"Sure." Chris and Buck walked the two prisoners over toward cells. "Tanner, too."

"Now, wait a minute…"

"Chris, it's okay," Vin said, raising a hand to stop Larabee from advancing on the lawman. "I expected this. That's why I gave you my guns and knife. It's okay. You, Buck and the Judge can tell the story to the Sheriff and if he has any questions I'll be happy to answer them for him." Vin turned back to Michaels. "You need to search me, Sheriff?"

Michaels looked Tanner in the eye for a long moment before shaking his head. "No, son, you go on."

Yates and Granger were put in the back cell, the one without a window. Vin walked into the other one and Chris closed the door behind him, noticing the slight flinch when the lock clicked.

"Vin…"

"Don't, Chris. I'll be all right. I am glad we slept outside last night though."

"We won't be long."

"Let's go to the hotel," Michaels suggested. "It has the best coffee in town." He grabbed the keys to the cells and put them in his pocket as he opened the door.

"If it's all the same to the rest of ya, I think I'll stay her and keep Vin company," Buck said. "That is, if Vin don't mind."

"That'd be nice. Thanks, Buck. Although I don't think I'll be very good company right now."

"That's okay, pard. I'll do all the talking. Did I ever tell you about Miss Rosalita?" Wilmington settled himself in the chair behind the desk.

"Chris, just shoot me now," Tanner pleaded, grabbing the bars and shaking them. "I'm not sure I can handle any of Buck's stories. Please."

"Sorry, Cowboy, you're on your own," Chris said with a wink.

As Chris pulled the door closed behind him, he threw a grateful look at Buck. He knew that the big man had offered to stay behind in an effort to get Tanner's mind off being locked up by regaling him with his outlandish stories. Wilmington nodded and began his tale.

"As I was saying. There I was, in El Paso…"

/

"…So, you're telling me that Tanner found this body, thought it was Eli Joe, and brought it in to cash in the bounty."

"That's right, Sheriff."

"I gotta tell ya, son, that's a pretty wild story."

"But true," Chris told him.

"You know that for a fact?"

"I know Vin Tanner. And I know he would never kill a man he didn't have to, not even for a bounty. "

"So all you got is Tanner's word on that." The man was understandably skeptical. Chris probably would have thought it outlandish too, if he didn't know Vin so well.

"No, actually we also have those two prisoners, both of whom rode with Eli Joe," Judge Travis offered. "He often bragged to his men about killing Jess Kincaid and pinning the murder on Vin Tanner. We have statements from both that he bragged about framing Vin Tanner."

"And where is this Eli Joe?"

"Dead," Chris declared. "Killed by me when he tried to kill Vin. Look, I realize this sounds a bit farfetched. But Eli Joe had Yates impersonate a U.S. Marshall in order to get to Vin. He and some of his men dragged Tanner out of town, supposedly to bring him here. Only, once they got out of town, they headed in the opposite direction from Texas. They met up with Eli Joe and then they tried to hang Vin from the nearest tree."

"And this didn't happen because…"

"Because I followed them. I didn't plan on seeing Vin hang for a murder he didn't commit. When those men started to put a noose around his neck, I was able to help him get away. After we got back to Four Corners, we met up with the rest of my men and planned on hunting Eli Joe down and bringing him to justice. But he'd split from his gang and ridden into town. He tried to kill Tanner again and I ended up having to shoot him to avoid that."

"Why would he come looking for Tanner?"

"Apparently, he'd heard that Vin was one of the peacekeepers in the town. He knew that Vin was partnered up with me and five others and figured it was only a matter of time before Tanner went after him again. Eli Joe decided to strike first."

"Seven peacekeepers? Y'all are part of that group I keep hearing so much about? And you're telling me, Vin Tanner, a man with a bounty on his head, is a lawman in your town?"

"We don't all wear any badges, but we do keep the peace there." Chris didn't feel it was necessary to mention that he and Buck had only been officially deputized a few days.

"Y'all have quite a reputation."

"It's well deserved, Sheriff," Travis said. "I hired these men when Four Corners was being over-run by the, how was it Mary called it…?"

"The bad element," Larabee supplied.

"Ah, yes. Chris and the others cleaned up that town. The people in Four Corners know what kind of men they are and none of them believe that Vin could have killed that man."

"People change. It's possible that he did murder that man, and just got tired of all the killing."

"Will you at least talk to him? Talk to Yates and Granger, and read the statements we got from the other prisoners?"

"Of course. I have to admit, it took a lot of guts to come back here and turn himself in. Have to admire the man for that."

"I understand the circuit judge will be here next week," Travis stated.

"That's right. Should be here Monday."

"Good. That will give us some time to prepare a proper defense. We'd like to talk to some of the townspeople. See if there is anyone here who might know anything about the murder."

"Well, I've only been here myself for about a year. But feel free to ask around. I know that Walter at the livery has been here for a long time. And Mr. Dixon, the banker, has been here about five years."

"Fine, we'll start with them…"

"Sheriff!" The trio turned as a man hurried through the door, getting the attention of everyone in the room. Michaels sighed in exasperation.

"What is it, George?"

"Betty just told me that she saw a man in town that she thinks killed a local farmer here a few years ago." Larabee and Travis exchanged glances, the movement not going unnoticed by the sheriff. "She says that he rode into town this morning with five other men."

"What are you talking about, George?"

"It happened before you got here. Sheriff Butler was still in charge then. I hope you have him locked up in the jail. That man killed Jess Kincaid and ran from justice!"

"He ran from a lynching party," Chris growled.

"He killed a good man!" George yelled.

Chris slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "All he did was bring in a dead body that he found on the road. A body he thought was a wanted man. And y'all planned to hang him without a trial!"

"Chris, calm down. This isn't helping." Travis put a hand on Larabee's arm. "Vin still has to stand trial in this town. Don't antagonize the folks who will potentially be on his jury."

Larabee looked around at the other patrons in the hotel restaurant, noting that everyone was listening to the conversation. He nodded and sat down, glaring at the mouthy George.

"George, Vin Tanner turned himself in," the Sheriff remarked.

"I don't care if he was dragged in behind a 20-horse team! He deserves to be hung. And if you won't see to it, there are still a lot of folks in town who considered Jess Kincaid a friend."

Chris started to rise again, but was stopped when Michaels stood up. "Are you threatening to kill a man who is in my protective custody, Mr. Harper?" he asked loudly.

"I'll do what I have to do to see justice done."

"Mr. Harper, you listen up, and you listen good," Michaels said, poking a finger into Harper's chest. "That man in jail will get a fair trial in this town. I will not put up with talk about hanging a man before he gets his day in front of a judge."

The sheriff looked around at the others in the room. "The rest of you hear this, too. The first person who tries to take the law into his own hands will be dealt with—by me—and if that means that I have to shoot you, then so be it! Vin Tanner is under my protection and will remain alive and healthy until a judge decides whether or not he's guilty. Is that clear?" Quiet murmuring was heard, accompanied by slow nods from several of those present. Others looked away from the Sheriff's glare. "Mr. Harper, is that clear?"

"Very clear, but you had better not let him get away, like last time."

"He's here of his own accord, Harper," Chris reminded the irate citizen.

"I just hope I'm on the jury," Harper spat back. "I can't wait to see him hang." Harper turned and stomped away.

"George!" Michaels called before he got to the door.

"What!"

"Pass the word around. There will not be a lynching while I'm still Sheriff of this town. I won't tolerate anyone interfering with my duties. If you or anyone else wants to speak at the trial, let me know and I'll be sure to inform Judge Miller."

Harper left without saying more, slamming the door back on its hinges as he went.

"Thank you, Sheriff Michaels," Travis said.

"Sorry about that gentlemen. George Harper is the owner of the local mercantile and apparently was a good friend of Jess Kincaid's. I'd best get back over to the jail. If George decides to stir up trouble, I'd rather be close by so I can do my job. My deputy will be back later this afternoon. He grew up in Tascosa and may remember the murder. I'll talk to him when he gets back and see what he knows."

"Would you mind if Buck keeps you company?" Chris asked. "At least until your deputy gets back."

"Not at all. I'll let him know what happened here. I don't think there will be trouble, but I don't want to take any chances. Mr. Larabee, I meant what I said. I will not allow a lynching in my town."

"We appreciate that, Sheriff. And you might as well call me Chris. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time together 'til this trial is over."

"Okay, Chris. My name is Bo. I'll see you later. Maybe I'll get back to the jail in time to hear what happened with Rosalita." The others chuckled.

"If he tries to tell you about the Belton twins, don't believe a word of it," Chris said.

Michaels laughed and headed out, leaving Chris and Travis sitting at the table.

/

"So, you think this rancher might know something about the killing, Ezra?" Chris studied the cards in his hand before he tossed them down in disgust. "Fold."

"I was unable to determine that, Mr. Larabee. Mr. Gregory indicated that he was here at the time of the incident and remembered hearing about an arrest. He knew Mr. Kincaid. But whether he has any information pertinent to the case is unknown. I felt that asking more would be pushing the limits of casual curiosity."

"Probably right. I'll make sure Gregory is one of the folks we visit tomorrow," Chris assured him, taking a sip of his beer. "We can ask him some of those questions you couldn't without giving too much away."

Chris still wanted Ezra to stay in the background. After Harper's reaction, he hoped that the gambler would hear about it if any plans were made by town vigilantes to again try to take the law into their own hands. He'd been told of everything they'd learned while in town and like the others was elated that the evidence was starting to build a strong case for his friend. Hopefully the judge would see it the same way.

"So, how is Mr. Tanner faring?" Ezra asked as he dealt another hand.

"Ready to climb the walls," Buck said with a smile.

"I can imagine. For a man like Mr. Tanner, who relishes his time in the open air, being enclosed in a jail cell must feel like being suffocated. I only hope that our investigation produces the evidence which exonerates him."

"Every little bit helps, Ezra. And we never know what could make the difference. So keep your ears open."

The men played for another thirty minutes before calling it a night. Ezra promised to contact them or the sheriff if he learned anything.

/

Chris and Judge Travis met Michaels in front of the jail. It had been two days since they'd arrived in Tascosa and they'd had little luck in finding anyone who might be able to help Vin. But the word had gotten around town that Tanner was back to stand trial and the curiosity had prodded some to walk by the jail and try to get a look inside.

Deputy Horace Biggles was young, about JD's age and eager to help the Sheriff. Biggles had been born and raised in the area and remembered the excitement when Jess Kincaid had been killed. His pa had been part of the posse that had searched for Tanner.

But Horace was in awe of Chris Larabee. So much in awe that he was willing to help however he could. That morning they had planned to hit some of the ranches and farms of folks that Biggles knew had been living in the area when the murder happened.

Horace and Buck were saddling the horses while the others waited for Ezra to arrive so they could see if he'd gotten any useful information since his arrival. They stood on the boardwalk in front of the jail. Their conversation was interrupted by the squeak of a board and footsteps. They looked up to see a tall, red haired man a grim look on his face.

"Sam, good morning."

"Morning, Bo. Got something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure, why don't we step inside?"

"Actually, Bo, if these are the men who came in with that Tanner fella, this'll probably interest them as well."

"Okay. Chris Larabee, Judge Travis, this is Sam Hunter. He's our local undertaker."

"Nice to meet you," Chris said shaking the man's hand. "We went by your place yesterday. Saw a note on the door that you were out of town."

"My sister's husband has been ill. I went out for a few days to help with the heavy chores around their ranch. Just got back this morning and ran into Horace in the livery. He told me what's been going on."

"So, what's up Sam?" Michaels asked.

"You might not know this, but I was here when Jess Kincaid was killed, so it was me that got his body ready for burial. I noticed something that I mentioned to Sheriff Butler, but he didn't seem to think it was important."

"What was it, Sam?"

"Jess looked like he'd been in a fight. He had bruises on his face and stomach, and his knuckles were scraped up. Sheriff Butler always said that that Tanner fella just shot him down with no warning. But it looked like Jess put up a fight."

Michaels looked up at Larabee. "The statement from that one prisoner, he mentioned that Eli Joe told him he'd fought with Kincaid."

Chris smiled. "Yeah, he did."

"Sam," the sheriff turned back to the undertaker. "I'll need you to stay in town. You may have to testify."

"I'll be here," the man assured him before he walked away.

Larabee smiled. This wasn't definite proof of Vin's innocence, but little tidbits kept falling into place. He only hoped it was enough.

/

"Good Morning, Mr. Gregory."

"Morning, Horace. What brings you out here?"

"This is Deputy Larabee and Deputy Wilmington, from Four Corners. I don't know if you've heard, but there's gonna be a trial in a few days for the man accused of killing Jess Kincaid."

"I heard about it while I was in town couple of days ago. They say that the boy who did it turned himself in."

"Well, Mr. Gregory, Vin Tanner did turned himself in, but there's some who think he might not'a done the killin'. That's why these men are here. They're doing some askin' around about that time and I'm takin' 'em around to all the folks I know was livin' here then. Would it be okay if they ask ya some questions?"

"I reckon that'd be alright. Might as well come inside and have some coffee while we talk," he said as he stepped up onto the porch and opened the door. "Martha will want to hear about it anyway."

The others dismounted and followed him into the small house, where his wife gave them each a cup of coffee and some muffins. Once she put the coffeepot back on the stove and sat down next to her husband, Chris began.

"Mr. Gregory, I understand you lived in the area at the time of the killing. Did you know Mr. Kincaid?"

"I knew him enough to say hello. We were never friends though. When he first moved here we invited him to supper. I like to get to know my neighbors; it keeps things from getting outta hand if any problems crop up. Anyways, he refused. Said he just wanted to be left alone."

"Did that strike you as odd?"

"To each their own. He never caused no trouble, so I figured he had a right to keep to hisself if'n he wanted."

"What do you remember about the killing?" Buck asked.

"Not much. We were in the middle of brandin' then. Some of the hands came back from town and said that a bounty hunter had brought in Kincaid's body and tried to claim it was a murderer he'd been trackin'."

"Did you ever see anyone with Kincaid?"

"Just some of the men from town once in a while when I'd go in fer supplies. I know he was friends with Mr. Harper and the old guy that used ta run the livery."

"That was Mr. Greensly," Horace added. "He died last year." Chris nodded.

"What about out near his place?"

"No, like I said the man kept to hisself. The few times I was ever out that way he was always alone."

"Do you remember the time around when he was killed? You said you were doing branding. Did you have reason to go near his place during that time?"

"I went there one morning to try and find a calf that'd taken off on me. I remember after hearing that he'd been killed, that I was glad I hadn't gone back and maybe got in the way and been killed myself."

"See anything unusual? Anyone in the area you hadn't see before? More people on the road? Anything like that?"

"Nothin' like that. But I remember hearing some shots the morning of the killing. I mentioned it to Butler, but he said it was probably the kid who shot Kincaid."

"About what time was that?" Chris asked.

"Woulda been early, about sunrise, if I recollect. We were just finishing up breakfast, remember Martha?" he asked, looking at his wife.

"Yes, I remember you saying it was probably someone scaring off a coyote," she replied. "When we heard that poor man had been killed, we figured the shots we heard were important."

"Well, thank you both. You've given us some good information. We appreciate the time you've given us. I'm sorry we interrupted your work."

"Mr. Larabee, can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly, Mrs. Gregory."

"Just what is your interest in all this? You're not from around here, are you?"

"No ma'am, we're not. Vin Tanner is a close friend of ours and we happen to think he didn't kill Jess Kincaid. We're trying to help him prove it."

"I see. Well, I never met your friend, but if he didn't kill Mr. Kincaid, who do you think did it?"

"We have information on who probably killed him. But Sheriff Michaels asked us not to say anything, since anyone we talk to might be called in to testify. But I'm sure once this is all over, everything will be explained."

"Well, I hope for your friend's sake, you can prove who really killed Mr. Kincaid then."

"Thank you, Ma'am. I hope so, too." The men said goodbye and rode off to the next ranch. For the most part, they got the same story. At the end of the day, they didn't have much more than they'd started with. The Judge and Ezra had spent the day talking to people in town, but hadn't learned anything more substantial. Judge Fuller was due in the next day and the men hoped the evidence they had would be enough to convince him and a jury to free Tanner from both jail and the bounty.

/

It was early morning, the sun just peeking over the horizon. Larabee stepped out of the hotel onto the boardwalk. He headed for the jail, hoping to speak with Vin and update him on the information they had. He wished he could have talked to his friend away from Yates and Granger. But the best he could do was go there early in the morning when the two outlaws were still asleep. He knew Tanner would be awake. The tracker was normally an early riser anyway, and being caged in a cell meant his sleep was restless at best.

Sheriff Michaels was pouring coffee into three cups as Chris walked in the door. Michaels turned from the stove and handed two of the cups to Larabee, taking his own and sitting back behind his desk. Chris smiled. It had become a morning ritual for the men since they'd arrived in Tascosa

Chris carried a cup over to Tanner. "How ya doin', Vin?" he asked quietly.

"Okay. Gettin' antsy. But the Sheriff says the trial should start tomorrow."

"Yeah, Judge Fuller is supposed to be on today's stage."

Vin nodded and took a sip of coffee. He looked behind him out the small window high in the wall of his cell. Turning back around, he locked eyes with Larabee. "I just want this over with, Chris. The walls are closin' in. Makes me wish I'da stayed outside of town 'til the Judge got here."

"I know, Vin. It won't be long now. You just gotta hang on a few more days." Larabee reached a hand in between the bars and squeezed Vin's shoulder. "And I'll be here whenever you need me. And if you want, I can send Ezra over to play some poker with ya, keep your mind off things."

"I don't have no money to lose," Tanner teased.

"I'm sure he'll take an IOU." Both men laughed at the thought of their gambler friend playing poker just for fun.

Michaels silently watched the two men. Over the last few days he'd been able to talk quite a bit with both Larabee and Tanner. He liked both men, as well as Wilmington and Judge Travis. He'd seen the respect these men had for each other. Buck had told him the story about how the seven peacekeepers had been hired by the Judge during the Lucas James situation.

He knew that there was another man in town with them that the Sheriff hadn't met yet. He envied Tanner these friendships. And he wondered again about the man's guilt. But he still had a job to do, so he couldn't just release him. But he could offer him a small bit of comfort.

He nodded to himself and checked his timepiece. Standing up, he grabbed the keys from the hook by his desk. He walked over and unlocked Tanner's cell. Gesturing to the jailed man he started to walk toward the door. Vin and Chris exchanged puzzled glances, then Larabee just shrugged his shoulders. He set his cup down and followed the Sheriff.

Tanner almost cautiously stepped out of the cell and followed the two men. They stopped on the boardwalk in front of the jail.

"Restaurant should be open by now," Michaels commented. "I imagine it'd be a bit more comfortable to eat at a table then in that jail cell."

Vin smiled. "I 'preciate it, Sheriff. Just the chance to get out of the cell for a while is good. Thanks."

"Just promise me you won't try to take off. I'd hate to have to shoot you, but I do have a job to do."

"Don't worry, Sheriff. I'm done runnin'. Good or bad, no matter what happens at the trial… I'm done runnin'."

"I'm glad to hear it, son. That'll carry a lot of weight with the Judge, too."

"C'mon, Cowboy, I'm starved," Chris said, slapping Vin on the back as he stepped down off the boardwalk to walk across the street to the hotel restaurant, the other two right behind him.

Buck and Travis joined them a few minutes later, both happy to see Vin outside the jail, even if only for a short time. They took the opportunity to tell him everything they'd learned in the time they'd been there, able to go into a bit more detail than they could while he was in the jail. Travis hadn't wanted to say much where Yates and Granger could overhear. They were able to have a long, leisurely breakfast.

"What is he doing out of jail, Sheriff?" a voice yelled across the room. The men turned to see George Harper and three other men coming toward them. Vin started to get up, but was stopped by Larabee's hand on his arm.

"Morning, George," Michaels greeted the angry man.

"I asked you a question, Sheriff. This man is a murderer," he spat. "Why, hell, you don't even have chains on him!"

"George, Mr. Tanner is meeting with his lawyer. He does have that right."

"He could meet in the jail, where that scum should be!"

"You trying to tell me how to do my job again, Mr. Harper?" the Sheriff asked as he stood up. "As you can see, the prisoner is still here, he hasn't try to run and he will be returned to a cell shortly. Now why don't you and your friends run along and let me do the job you elected me to do."

"Hmph. We'll see if you get elected next time. I think maybe we need a new Sheriff if this is the way you do things." The other men with Harper nodded their heads in agreement.

"Feel free to put your name on the ballot, Mr. Harper. I'm sure the people of this town would love to have a man in charge who is ready to convict folks without a trial."

"With someone else in charge maybe men like this wouldn't be able to kill in the first place," said one of the others. "Or break into people homes and steal them blind."

"No man can prevent every single crime that happens, Mr. Finkle. It's just me and Horace keeping the law in this town. We're only two men. We can't be everywhere. I understand that you are still upset that we didn't catch the thief that broke into your house last month. But that's no reason to condemn a man to hang before you've heard all the evidence."

"You just be sure he doesn't get away, Sheriff. His friends could break him out," Harper said.

"His friends came with him to get this settled, George. They have no reason to stage a jailbreak."

"You just keep an eye on all of them," Harper insisted.

"Goodbye, George." Michaels pointed to the door for the storeowner to leave.

Harper glared at Tanner, then turned on his heels and walked away, following by his friends.

The Sheriff sighed as he watched them leave. The older woman who ran the hotel restaurant came over with a tray for the two prisoners still in the jail. Michaels nodded his thanks and she left.

"Mr. Tanner, we should be getting you back to the jail," Michaels reluctantly said.

Vin looked up from where he'd leaned back in his chair. He sighed and nodded. Finishing up the little bit of coffee left in his cup, he stood. "Judge, thanks for letting me know what's going on. No matter what happens, I know you'll do your best."

"I will, Vin, I promise you that."

"I'll walk back with you, Vin," Buck said. The two men and Sheriff Michaels left the hotel, walking slowly across the street to the jail. Climbing onto the steps to the boardwalk, Vin turned back around. He could feel the breeze coming down the street. He closed his eyes and raised his face. He allowed the warmth from the sun to and the slight breeze to calm his soul. After a full minute, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. Turning around, he faced Buck and the Sheriff, who had waited patiently for him to enter the jail.

"Ready, Vin?" Buck asked, his usual exuberant manner subdued.

"Yeah." Tanner stepped up to the door, then stopped and looked at Michaels. "Thanks, Sheriff. This meant a lot ta me."

"I know it wasn't much, but I understand the feeling of being closed in."

Vin nodded and stepped into the office and back to the cell, which Michaels closed and locked behind him. "I'll let you know when the Judge gets here." Then he walked over to the other cell and banged on the door. "Hey boys, wake up, breakfast is here," he called to Yates and Granger. He picked up the trays and slid them through the slot in the door.

Tanner moved over to the bunk and sat down, pulling his hat off and tossing it next to him. He pulled his feet up and leaned his forearms across his knees.

"You okay, Vin?"

"Yeah, Buck, I'm fine. It was nice to get out for a bit."

"Won't be too long, Vin and you'll be free. I got a good feelin' about this."

"Hope you're right, Buck. I'm glad y'all are with me."

"Wouldn't be anywhere else, pard." Buck watched as Vin closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall of the cell. The big man grabbed a chair and pulled it over close to the cell, wanting to stay close in case his friend wanted to talk.

/


	3. Chapter 3

**_CHAPTER 3 _**

Larabee and Judge Travis walked out of the hotel in time to hear the sounds of several horses riding in from the north of town. As they turned to look, they recognized JD Dunne and Josiah Sanchez. Behind them were two wagons and several more horses.

"Grandpa! Chris!" a young voice shouted. As the first wagon stopped, a young boy jumped from the back and ran toward the two men.

"Billy! What are all of you doing here?" Travis asked as he bent down to pick up his six-year-old grandson.

"We came to make sure Vin came back home with you!"

Chris nodded as his two fellow peacekeepers as they dismounted and joined them on the boardwalk.

"Josiah, JD, what's going on?"

"We couldn't stay away Chris," JD said. "This is just too important. Nathan wanted to come too, but Mrs. Arthur's baby will be coming soon and he didn't want to leave. A couple of the men in town said they'd help if any trouble comes up while we're gone." Larabee nodded his acceptance. He knew the rest of his men hadn't wanted to stay in Four Corners. He had been surprised they hadn't argued more before he and the others had left.

By now the rest of the group had joined them. Mary Travis, Nettie and Casey Wells, Mrs. Potter, Yosemite and several townspeople were gathered around.

"And the rest of you?" Travis asked.

"We're here for moral support," Mary offered. "When everyone heard what was going on, we decided we couldn't let Vin face it alone. Not after everything you men have done for our town."

"I'm not sure Vin's gonna like this, Mary," Chris told her. "You know that he wanted to face this himself. Hell, he didn't even want us along when he first decided to go after Eli Joe."

"I know. But we're here. If nothing else, we can act as character witnesses."

The Judge nodded his head. "I think she's right, Chris. We can let Vin know that they're here and if he's uncomfortable with it, we can ask that they not attend the trial. But we can use their testimony, so Judge Fuller gets an idea of what Vin has been doing since he left Tascosa."

Chris nodded. "Alright. I'll go tell him. But you folks gotta promise to abide by his wishes. If he don't want y'all crowded into the courtroom, you stay away. Especially you Miss Nettie. I know how you feel about him, but he'd feel awful if you had to be there and they find him guilty."

The old woman stepped forward and took hold of Chris' hand. "Vin Tanner and the rest of you men helped me and Casey through a very hard time when Guy Royal tried to take our land. He was there when I needed him. And I plan to be there for him. Now you go over there and tell him we're here. And tell him to expect a visit from me as soon as I've had a chance to clean up and eat some breakfast."

Her stern command allowed no refusal. "Yes, ma'am. I'll tell him. JD, Josiah, why don't y'all get settled and get some breakfast as well."

"Chris, can I go with you?" Billy asked climbing down from his grandfather's arms and walking with Chris as he started down the steps.

"No, Billy, I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not? I wanna be karaker witness too."

"And I bet you'd be a really good character witness too. But, well, Vin's locked up in jail right now. I think he'd been embarrassed to have everyone see him there."

"But I wouldn't laugh at him," the young boy promised.

Mary started forward, but stopped when JD crouched down next to her son. "Billy, remember when you got in trouble for taking that book when you shouldn't?" Billy nodded, not sure why JD was asking his question. "Well, remember how your mom punished you?" Billy nodded again and blushed. His mom had made him stand in the corner for most of the afternoon. JD had come over to bring Mary her mail and had seen Billy enduring his punishment. "Would you have liked all your friends and everyone else in town to come by and see you while you were standing in the corner?"

Billy shook his head and looked at the ground. He thought for just a moment, then turned back to Larabee. "Chris, will you tell Vin that we're all here and that if he wants, I'd like to take him fishing when we get back home."

Chris smiled and reached up to tousle the young boy's hair, sending a grateful look to JD. "I'd be pleased to pass on that message, Billy. And I'll bet that Vin would love to go fishing with you when we get back to Four Corners. I may even join you, if that's okay."

Satisfied, Billy nodded and moved to join his mother as the contingent from Four Corners entered the hotel. Chris turned to head to the jail.

"That was perfect, Brother Dunne," Josiah remarked to JD as they walked through the door. "Just what both Billy and Vin need to hear."

"I remember what it was like when I was a kid and getting punished. I always felt humiliated if anyone saw me. I couldn't let Vin go through that, especially when he's innocent."

Sanchez draped a hand over JD shoulder and the two men followed the others to the front desk to rent some rooms. "I'm starving. Let's go get some breakfast, son."

/

"Ms. Nettie, you shouldn'ta come here," Vin insisted for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "You don't need to be seeing this." He grabbed the bars and watched as she sat on the chair outside his cell. They'd been quietly arguing for over fifteen minutes.

Chris and Josiah sat on the other side of the room watching, softly chuckling while Vin tried to convince the feisty old woman that she should have stay in Four Corners. Sheriff Michaels and Orrin Travis were seated at the Sheriff's desk.

"Vin Tanner, you listen to me. I remember a time when you and the rest of those boys helped me keep my land. You all could have been killed. But you helped me anyway."

"We were doing our job. That's what the Judge pays us to do."

"Well, consider yourself lucky then, young man. Because I came here for free."

"Ms. Nettie…"

"No, Vin. I'm staying. I know this is hard for you, son. And I won't let you go through it alone. I owe it to your mother to see you through this, since she couldn't be here for you."

Vin looked at Nettie and his eyes softened. She did remind him of his Ma, more so every day. And he knew he would never be able to say no to her. So he didn't bother trying. He shook his head and smiled. "Thanks, Ms. Nettie."

She stood and stepped up to the bars. Laying a hand along his face, she smiled. "We'll get through this, Vin Tanner, and get you back home where you belong."

"Awww, ain't that sweet," Yates called from the next cell. "Big bad bounty hunter has mama looking out for him. She gonna shoot the judge when you're found guilty and drag you outta town with her?" Yates sat on the bunk, leaning against the wall.

Tanner turned, furious that Yates would talk about Nettie, but stopped when she grabbed his collar.

"Young man," Nettie said, as she released Vin's shirt and walked toward the other cell, "where are your manners?"

"Ms. Nettie, don't get too close," Chris Larabee cautioned her.

"Yeah, Ms. Nettie, don't get too close." Yates sneered at her. "I might bite."

"Wipe that smile off your face, boy. You don't scare me." She looked at the two men in the cell. "You look like an intelligent man, Mr. Yates, is it?"

He nodded. "I've had some schooling."

"Ms. Nettie, what are you doing?" Vin asked.

"I'm just trying to figure out why Mr. Yates here started running with that Eli Joe character. It seems to me, he's smarter than that."

"Everybody needs to eat," Yates replied.

"You ever kill anyone, Mr. Yates?"

"What if I have?"

"That an admission?"

"I didn't say that."

"So you haven't killed?" Nettie stood with her arms crossed in front of her.

"I got no paper on me says I killed anybody. Not like your boy over there." Yates smiled and leaned back against the wall. "He's gonna hang for that farmer's murder. And Eli Joe is gonna meet him at the gates of hell, laughing all the way."

Vin clutched the bars between the cells as Chris and Josiah walked over to stand on either side of Nettie. "You know I didn't kill Kincaid," Vin snarled.

Yates continued, "Eli Joe was real proud of the fact that he framed you for that murder. He kept real close tabs on you. Ya see, he wanted to be sure he was around if anybody ever brought you in. He planned on being here to watch you hang. But I guess that ain't gonna happen now, since your friend there done killed Eli Joe." He turned to Chris. "Yep, you sure helped out your buddy there, Larabee."

Chris glared at Yates, which caused the fake Marshall to lose his sneer. "Tell me something, Yates," he said. "How did you feel when Eli Joe ran out on you?"

"He didn't run out. We just decided to go our separate ways"

Chris smiled. "That so? Then why were you wearing Eli Joe's serape when we found you?" Chris rubbed a finger across his lower lip. "You know, Josiah, it seems to me that Eli did the same thing once before."

"Ah, yes, Brother Chris," Josiah. "I do believe it does sound somewhat familiar. The name Jess Kincaid comes to mind."

"Yes, that was it. Jess Kincaid was wearing Eli Joe's clothes when he died. Hmm, I wonder Brother Josiah, if that's not what Eli Joe had in store for Yates here." Chris looked over at Vin and winked.

"One big difference, Larabee," Yates said. "I ain't dead."

"Not yet." Chris smiled. "Shall we, Miss Nettie," he said as he placed a hand on her elbow and guided her away from the cells. "Vin, we'll see you later. The Judge and I have some things to discuss."

"Brother Vin, I will be by a bit later with your dinner," Josiah said.

Michaels watched as the three men left with Nettie Wells. He glanced over at Yates and Granger. Yates was glaring at Tanner, who smiled and settled back onto his bunk.

"You know, Yates, Eli Joe played us both for fools," Tanner said.

"How so?" Yates asked.

"He framed me by changing clothes with Jess Kincaid after he killed him. He probably thought I'd be mad enough to shoot him this time without checking. But that's now how I work, never has been, even when I was bounty hunting. The only time I brought a bounty in dead is when they fought me."

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

Vin smiled. "If I was the type of man who shot first…you'd be dead now."

Bo Michaels watched as the two men talked. Something Tanner said got him thinking. When Horace relieved him an hour later, Michaels headed for the telegraph office.

/

Sheriff Michaels escorted Vin through the doors of the saloon, which had been transformed into a courtroom. Tanner was led over to a table and took a seat between Judge Travis and Chris Larabee. He wasn't shackled, which surprised him. And the sheriff had allowed all three prisoners to bath the night before, for which Vin was grateful. Not having the stench of a week's worth of sweat and dust covering his skin made him feel almost human.

Vin looked up when Judge Fuller walked into the room. Like Travis, Fuller was an imposing figure. He carried himself with all the confidence and authority of his position, even while leaning on an ebony-colored cane. Court was called to order and the testimony began.

/

"…and he rode into town with poor Jess Kincaid slung over his saddle like a sack o' grain," George Harper said. "Then he tried to tell Sheriff Butler that my friend was some outlaw he'd been chasin'. Well, Zeke Butler wasn't about to let that murderin' scum.."

"Objection!" Travis cried. "Slanderous!"

"Mr. Harper, please limit yourself to the facts of this case," Fuller said. "The defendant is innocent until proven guilty."

"But Your Honor…"

"The facts, Mr. Harper. I will not have name-slinging in my courtroom." The Judge turned a stern face to the witness, who seemed to shrink an inch or two down into the chair.

"Yes, Sir. Well, the Sheriff, he arrested Tanner on the spot! But the bast…the defendant…" he said sarcastically, "he escaped when he figured he was gonna be hanged."

"Just how long was Mr. Tanner in the Sheriff's custody before he escaped, Mr. Harper?" asked the man sitting at a second table set up in the front of the make-shift courtroom. The man, Randolph Traskey, was a lawyer who had been traveling with Judge Fuller and agreed to act as prosecutor for the trial.

"Less than a day! When the Sheriff let him out to use the privy the next morning he grabbed a horse and took off. So he's a horse thief, too!"

Several spectators started nodding and calling out 'horse thief' and 'murderer' until the judge banged his gavel and called for order.

At the defendant's table, Vin hung his head and closed his eyes, ashamed that his friends had to hear this. Chris lay a hand on his friend's shoulder and gave a small squeeze. Vin nodded his gratitude. He took a deep breath and raised his head again, looking at Harper while he continued his testimony. The man finally finished his story and after he answered a few more of Traskey's questions, Travis was allowed to cross-examine him.

"Mr. Harper, where were you when Mr. Tanner brought in the body?" Travis asked.

"Standing right in front of the jail talking with Zeke Butler and Deputy Hawkins."

"And so you heard what Mr. Tanner told the Sheriff."

"You bet I did!"

"Could you repeat what you heard?"

"He told the Sheriff he'd found poor Jess laying on the ground and he wanted to turn him in for the bounty."

"Were those his exact words?"

"Close enough," Harper hedged, squirming in the chair.

"But not exactly," Travis pressed, moving closer to the witness chair.

"Well, I don't rightly recall exactly what words he used. It was a long time ago!"

"Did he mention Jess Kincaid's name? Would you remember that?"

"I don't remember," Harper mumbled.

"Yes, well it has been several years since the killing, so I guess one's memory could be a bit inaccurate. Do you remember Mr. Tanner telling the Sheriff that the man he brought in was a man named Eli Joe?"

"I guess he could have, I don't remember."

"But he did tell the Sheriff that he was turning the body in for a bounty, thought it was an outlaw he'd been chasing, isn't that correct?"

"Yeah, I think that's what he said." Harper pulled on his collar, looking more and more like he just wanted to be out of the room.

"Mr. Harper, did Vin Tanner tell the Sheriff that he had killed the man he'd brought in?"

"No! He told Zeke that he'd found the body on the road," Harper laughed. "Like anyone would have believed that!"

"So he said he found the body, and that it matched the description of the man he'd been hunting and he'd brought the body in to claim the bounty. Is that essentially what Mr. Tanner told Sheriff Butler?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose that's about right." Harper fingered his hat, which he held on his lap.

"How was Mr. Kincaid dressed?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question, Mr. Harper," Judge Fuller ordered.

Harper glanced at the trial judge, than back a Travis. "I …I don't remember. He was wrapped up in a blanket."

"What did he usually wear?'

"I don't know. A work shirt and pants, I guess. He was a farmer, he wore farmer's clothes."

"Did you notice anything unusual about any of the clothing he was wearing that morning when his body was brought in?" Travis inquired.

"No. Nothing," he said harshly. "I only remember that Tanner pulled that blanket away from Jess's face and then tried to claim a bounty on him! But Sheriff Butler arrested him as soon as he saw who he had on that horse."

Travis was slightly distracted by a whispered conversation between Tanner and Larabee. He turned and was motioned to the table. "One moment, your Honor," he said and moved to speak with Chris. Nodding his head, he patted Larabee on the shoulder and turned back to the man on the stand.

"Mr. Harper, are you sure that you saw the body wrapped in a blanket. Could it have been a serape that you saw?"

"Blanket, serape…what difference does it make? The fact is, he had Jess Kincaid all wrapped up and slung over his horse."

Voices murmured in the background, quiet taunts of 'murderer' going around the room again.

"On to others things now, Mr. Harper," Travis said as he walked back to the table. "Were you there when Mr. Tanner escaped?"

"I sure was! That boy just lit outta town like the hounds of hell were after him!"

"Were they?"

"Excuse me," Harper said, his eyebrows moving together in puzzlement.

"Were the hounds of hell after Vin Tanner?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"How many people were on the street when Tanner escaped?"

"I didn't count them, I guess about twenty or thirty."

"Any of them carrying a rope?"

Harper looked at Judge Fuller then let his gaze fall to the floor, again squirming in his seat and pulling at this collar.

"Mr. Harper, did any of the men have a rope?"

"Well, I suppose it's possible. I mean, sure, why not, it's not like it's against the law to carrying rope around," Harper said, trying to smile at the spectators, getting answering smiles and chuckles from a few.

"Even if that rope was formed into a noose, Mr. Harper?" Travis asked.

"Well…" the witness frowned. "Damn it! He killed Jess Kincaid!"

"Who carried the noose, Mr. Harper?" When he didn't answer, Travis looked at Fuller.

"Mr. Harper, answer the question," Fuller demanded.

Harper looked at the Judge, then at his hands, once again twisting his hand between his hands. "Well, ah, I think…uh…"

"Did you have a rope in your hand, Mr. Harper?"

"NO! Of course not!"

"But you were part of the crowd that morning, were you not? Part of the crowd that planned on seeing justice served?"

"That sonuvabitch killed Jess Kincaid!" Harper said, pointing at Tanner. "He deserved to die!" Several men in the crowd stood and started yelling at Tanner. Judge Fuller once again slammed his gavel down on the table.

"Order in the court or I'll have you all tossed out of here!"

Slowly the men quieted and sat down.

"I have no further questions at this time, your honor."

But Harper wasn't through. "He ran! An innocent man wouldn't have run!" Several in the crowd and on the jury nodded their heads in agreement as Judge Miller once again banged his cane on the table.

/

Several other townsfolk took the stand and told their versions of what happened that day. Traskey pulled in a number of men who had known Jess Kincaid to testify. And he'd questioned some who had been in town the morning the Vin had brought the body in. No one could remember anyone saying that Vin had actually shot Jess Kincaid. And no one had admitted witnessing the shooting. So far, there was no direct evidence that Vin had killed Kincaid, aside from the fact that he'd brought the body into town. But several voiced the same opinion that he wouldn't have run if he wasn't guilty.

Most of those who had known Kincaid were vocal in the condemnation of Tanner. They knew Kincaid to be a quiet, unassuming farmer.

Everyone who spoke of Kincaid, told of a man who always seemed to be sad or preoccupied, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. No one knew much about his past, because he didn't like to talk about it. They figured it was his business.

They had learned that Jess Kincaid's family had moved back east after he'd been killed. Sheriff Michaels had tried to contact them about the trial, but hadn't gotten a response to any of his wires.

The men met later at the saloon to discuss the first day of the trial. Travis seemed to think things were going okay. Chris was just grateful that Harper wasn't on the jury. Judge Fuller had refused to allow anyone on the jury who was due to testify during the trial. The jury was made up of town residents, some of whom had lived there when Jess Kincaid had been killed and some who hadn't. Travis thought that was good for Vin, since those who didn't know Jess Kincaid wouldn't be inclined to automatically think the sharpshooter was guilty.

/

Early the next morning, Ronald Traskey and Judge Fuller were in the hotel dining room, having breakfast together.

"Mr. Traskey?" The attorney turned and look up.

"Yes, Mr. Harper?" he asked, setting down his fork. He glanced at the man standing next to Harper. He was tall, but slender, about forty years old. His brown hair was cut short and a scar marked his right cheek.

"This is Zeke Butler," Harper introduced his companion. "He was Sheriff here when Jess Kincaid was killed."

"Yes, I recognize the name," Traskey said, looking across the table at Fuller.

The judge stood, placing his napkin on the table. "I'll take to you later, Ron," he said.

"But Judge, wait!" Harper insisted. "He's got important information about the trial."

"Then I'll her about it during testimony, Mr. Harper. I have to stay neutral here. I can't appear to be favOrring either prosecution or defense. So I will leave you to talk to Mr. Traskey. If he feels your information is important, I'm sure I'll hear about it during the course of the trial." The judge placed his hat on his head and nodded at the three men before leaving them to talk.

/

Traskey approached the witness chair. "Mr. Butler, I understand that you were the Sheriff in Tascosa when Jess Kincaid was killed," he said.

"Murdered, you mean," Butler replied. "Yeah, I was here when Jess was murdered. I was here when that sonuvabitch brought poor Jess's body in." Butler glared at Tanner, who kept his gaze on the table in front of him.

Everyone in the courtroom could see the barely suppressed hatred showing on Butler's face.

"You recognized Mr. Kincaid then?" Traskey asked.

"You bet I did! Jess was a good friend of mine. His wife, Isabelle, was one of the best people I know. She and her two kids had to sell the farm and move back east after Jess was killed. She just couldn't handle that farm all alone." The room was quiet now as Butler spoke of Kincaid's family. Those who had known Isabelle Kincaid remembered the day she and her children boarded the eastbound stage. Butler let his eyes roam around the room as he talked.

"Isabelle and her younguns left here in tears. First having to bury Jess and having the man who killed him run like the coward he is. Then losing the farm that was their dream. Those kids were born here and had to leave the only home they'd ever known."

The ex-sheriff brought his gaze back to Vin. "Are you proud of what you done to them, Tanner? You left 'Belle a widow and those two kids without a daddy. You're gonna hang you bastard!"

Voices shouted curses and threats at Tanner and several men pressed forward. Buck, JD and Josiah joined Sheriff Michaels and Horace in keeping them back.

"Order in the court!" Fuller yelled over the din. "I will have order in the court!" Gradually Michaels and the others were able to get the crowd quieted down and back in their seats.

Judge Fuller addressed the crowd. "One more outburst like that and I will clear the courtroom for the rest of this trail and Sheriff Michaels will be tossing some of you in jail." He turned to the ex-sheriff. "And you, Mr. Butler. I will not tolerate cussing in my courtroom. Any judgments of guilt or innocence will be made by the jury and by me. Is that clear? I won't have you riling these folks up."

"Yes, Your Honor. I'm sorry. But I chased that man for over a week." Butler's jaw was clenched tightly. "Jess Kincaid was my friend."

"I understand that, Mr. Butler. But you were once a lawman. Mr. Tanner is innocent until proven guilty."

Butler took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"Continue, Mr. Traskey," the judge ordered.

"Yes, Your Honor. Now then, Mr. Butler, tell us what happened the morning Mr. Tanner came into town."

Butler shifted in his seat. "I was sitting on the porch outside the jail with George Harper. I'd just relieved my deputy and the three of us were talking about how quiet things were. We saw a man riding into town, pulling another horse behind him. When he got closer, I saw something slung over the second horse. When I realized it was a body, my deputy and I moved to talk to the man, who turned out to be Tanner. He said he was there to collect a bounty and pointed to the body." Butler closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"What happened next, Mr. Butler?" Traskey asked.

Butler opened his eyes and looked up at the prosecutor. "Tanner got off his horse and handed me a wanted poster. Said the body was a man he'd been chasing for weeks. He smiled, saying he was glad to get a chance to rest now that he'd caught him." Butler snarled, glaring at Tanner. "He was actually happy to have a dead man slung over that horse."

"Yes, under the circumstances, I can see where that would upset you," Traskey sympathized. "When did you discover that the body was that of Jess Kincaid?"

"Just a few minutes later. I went over to check the body. I needed to make sure that the face matched the wanted poster. The bounty was a thousand dollars. I had to be sure we were paying out for the right man. I pulled back the blanket to get a look at the body. I almost didn't believe it at first. I told myself I was seeing things. Then I heard Tanner telling my deputy that he 'found' the body. He said he couldn't believe his luck,that the body was just laying out there on the road, all convenient-like."

"What happened then?" Traskey crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the table he was using for a desk in the courtroom.

"I pulled my gun and told my deputy to arrest Tanner for the murder of Jess Kincaid."

A quiet murmuring started to work its way through the crowd. Judge Fuller looked up and reached for his gavel, but silence fell again before he needed to use it. He nodded his satisfaction.

"What did Mr. Tanner do when you told your deputy to arrest him?" Traskey asked.

"He backed up, trying to get away, like the coward he is." Several heads could be seen nodding in agreement, both in the crowd and in the jury box. "Then he started yelling about finding the body, saying he didn't shoot him, somebody else did." Butler laughed.

"I take it, you didn't believe him."

"Hell, no! I figured he was just tired of chasing that other fella he had the poster on and shot the first person he came across that vaguely fit the description. A thousand dollars is a lot of money. Enough money to tempt any man to kill."

Vin lowered his face into his hands. "I didn't kill him," he whispered. Only Chris and Orrin could hear him. "I didn't kill him," he repeated shaking his head.

"Easy, Vin," Chris quietly told him. "The truth will come out. You knew this would be hard. You gotta believe the jury will see the truth."

"Chris, look around you. Look at the jury. Half of them agree with Butler."

"The other half doesn't. Don't give up here, Vin. We didn't come this far for you to give up."

Tanner looked up and met his friend's eyes. He saw the strength there and the determination. And he saw the belief in Vin's innocence. He trusted this man with his life.

/

Two days later, the prosecution rested and Orrin Travis began his defense. The first person he called to the stand was Sam Hunter, the undertaker.

"Mr. Hunter, you told Sheriff Michaels that you were the one who readied Jess Kincaid's body for burial."

"Yes, Sir, that's correct."

"What was the condition of the body?"

"He had been shot and it appeared that he'd been in a fight before he died."

"How do you mean?"

"He had some marks on his face and his knuckles were swollen."

"How did he die?"

"Gunshot wounds."

"Wounds. Plural, as in more than one."

"Yes, sir, there were three."

"Where was he hit?"

"Well, if I recall, one in the shoulder, one in the leg and another in the arm."

"Those wounds in and of themselves don't sound fatal."

"I reckon not, if he had been able to get to a doctor. I figure he bled to death."

"I see. And the marks you saw. Could you tell how old they were?"

"They looked pretty recent. He had a couple small cuts on his face and some redness on his stomach."

"And the bullet wounds, did they enter from the front or the rear of the body?

"Both."

"How so?"

"The one in his arm came from the front, the one in his shoulder entered from the rear."

"And the one in leg?"

"More on the side, like maybe he was turning away or something."

"Anything unusual about any of the wounds?"

"Well, the one in the shoulder went in low, came out high."

"What do you mean?"

"Like whoever shot him held the gun at an angle, down low. Either that or Jess Kincaid was falling when the shot hit him and it went in at an angle as he went down."

"How was the body clothed?"

"If I recall correctly, he was wearing a red shirt and some dark wool pants."

"And the blanket he was wrapped up in."

"Blanket? I don't recall a blanket. He did have something colorful wrapped around him, but it weren't a blanket. More like one of those things the Mexicans wear."

"A serape?"

"Yeah, I think that's what it's called."

"Ever see Mr. Kincaid wearing something like before."

"No, he never wore nothing that colorful. I figured it belong to the man that brought him in."

"Thank you, Mr. Hunter. No more questions, Your Honor."

"Mr. Traskey?" the Judge inquired if the prosecutor had questions.

"Just one question. Mr. Hunter, were you able to determine how long Jess Kincaid had been dead?"

"No accurate like. It was more than a few hours, since the blood was dry. But I couldn't tell you for sure."

"No more questions, thank you."

/

"So, Mr. Bickers, you were here the morning Vin Tanner escaped from custody?" Travis asked the man on the witness stand.

"Yes, sir, I was in town getting supplies." Micah Bickers was a local rancher whom Chris and Buck had talked to during their rounds in the area. When he'd mentioned that he'd been in town that morning, and seen the townsfolk try to lynch Tanner, they'd asked if he'd be willing to testify to what he'd seen and he had agreed.

"Tell us what you saw that morning, Mr. Bickers."

"Well, I was standing in front of the bank waiting for it to open. I heard a commotion over by the jail and saw a group of folks there, looked like they was upset. I started walking over that way, but then I saw one of them holding a noose. I didn't want no part o' that, so I stayed where I was."

"Did you see Vin Tanner?"

"I never knew the man's name, but I saw them drag a man from the jail."

"Who brought him outside?"

"The sheriff and a couple of the townsfolk."

"Do you know why they were bringing him out of the jail?"

"No, Sir, but…"

"But what, Mr. Bickers?"

"Well, sir, the sheriff, he started talking about justice and that man being found guilty."

"So, there had already been a trial?" Travis was confused. He hadn't thought any trial had actually taken place.

"Well, sir, that's just it. When they held up that noose and started talkin' about justice, the prisoner, he started yellin' about being lynched. And the deputy came up then and started tryin' to talk calm everyone down, sayin' that the man had a right to a fair trial."

"So, the sheriff was part of the lynching party?"

"Well, sir, I don't know about that. I know he was out there and he certainly wasn't trying real hard to keep the crowd from getting near his prisoner. I saw a couple of them punch the man and kick at him."

Chris turned to look at Vin. "You never told us that," he said quietly.

"Didn't seem important," the quiet tracker responded.

"It's all important, Vin. Anything that'll help is important." Tanner nodded.

"So, Mr. Bickers," Travis continued, "do you remember what happened then?"

"Well, the crowd started closing in on the prisoner. All the sudden a couple of folks fell down and the prisoner jumped on a horse and took off outta town. The deputy and the sheriff took a couple shots at him, then ran to the livery and a few minutes later I saw them ride out in the same direction that their prisoner took, along with about a dozen men from town."

"Thank you, Mr. Bickers."

/

"Mr. Yates, you were arrested for impersonating a Federal Marshal in Four Corners, is that correct?"

"Yeah." Yates glared at Larabee and Tanner.

"What was the reason behind this impersonation?" Travis asked.

"We figured it was the only way we could get Tanner out of the town without a fight."

"Who's we?"

"Me and my boys."

"And how did you know that Mr. Tanner was in Four Corners?"

Yates didn't respond, instead he looked down at his feet.

"Mr. Yates, answer the question," Fuller ordered him.

"Eli Joe," he mumbled.

"Speak up, Mr. Yates."

"Eli Joe told us he was there."

"And what were you supposed to do after you got Vin Tanner out of town?" Travis asked.

"We were supposed to deliver him to Eli."

"Why?"

"He didn't say," Yates replied arrogantly.

"He asked you to go through this elaborate ruse and he didn't say why. And you didn't bother to ask?"

"You didn't question Eli Joe's orders," Yates insisted. "He killed people who disagreed with him." Travis smiled, letting Yates know he'd made a statement that was beneficial to the defense. "Tanner had a price on his head. Eli Joe told us if we got him out of town and brought him to where Eli was, we'd be able to split the bounty when Eli Joe was done with him. Five hundred dollars goes a long way."

"And what happened when you brought Mr. Tanner to meet with Eli Joe?"

"Eli decided to hang him."

"Why?"

"Who knows. Didn't matter to me, the bounty said 'Dead or Alive', so if Eli wanted to make a point it didn't make no never mind to me. His body woulda still got me the money." Yates felt a chill go down his back and turned to see Larabee staring at him, his eyes cold as ice. The fake marshal swallowed and turned to look at the crowd, only to have his eyes fall on the rest of the Four Corners contingent, each of them looking at him like they'd just as soon spit on him. Or shoot him.

"Did Eli Joe and Vin Tanner talk before you and your men tried to hang Mr. Tanner?"

"Yeah, they did."

"Did you hear this conversation?"

"Yeah."

"Did Eli Joe say anything about framing Vin Tanner, either that day or at any other time that you were riding with him?"

"I don't recall," he said smugly. He glanced back at Larabee and swallowed at the look of hatred evident on the gunslinger's face. But Yates didn't care. He was going to die anyway for the crimes he'd committed. He wasn't about to make Tanner's life easier.

After another twenty minutes of testimony, Yates was taken back to jail. He hadn't admitted hearing anything about Eli Joe killing Jess Kincaid.

Travis brought Granger in next and was able to get him to admit that Eli Joe had told his men that he'd framed Tanner. And Travis showed the jury the statements from the other surviving gang members saying that they'd also heard Eli Joe talk about framing the ex-bounty hunter. But it was all hearsay, and it was a toss-up whether the jury would believe the word of murderers and thieves.

/


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER 4_**

"I've known Vin Tanner for almost two years," Mary Travis said. She'd been called to the stand as the first character witness. Others would follow. "He helped chased down the man who killed our mercantile store owner and shot my father-in-law," she continued, giving a small smile to that father-in-law, Orrin Travis. "He and the rest of the peacekeepers in our town stood up against a much larger group and brought the man to justice."

"Over the months that I've known Vin, he's always been kind and compassionate. The only times I've ever seen him angry are when a member of our community or some innocent person have been preyed upon by the criminal element that came to the area looking for easy targets. Mr. Tanner and his fellow peacekeepers have made our small town a wonderful place to live. People aren't afraid to walk to the streets anymore.

"He's a tracker, who has been able to locate lost children and track down bank robbers and murderers. He's a sharpshooter who has saved the lives of many people in our town with his accurate and timely shooting, myself included. He's very patient with my young son, Billy, which I find extremely enduring." Mary glanced over at Vin, who blushed at all the nice words.

"Vin Tanner has been an asset to our little town. I can't imagine him killing an innocent man just to collect a bounty."

/

"….then he stepped up to join the Sheriff in front of the jail, and forced those people to step down. He and Sheriff Dunne were not about to let Lucas James go, not after he'd killed my husband." was regaling the packed courtroom with her first real encounter with Vin Tanner. "After hearing those townspeople talking about letting that man go, I was overjoyed that Vin Tanner and JD Dunne would stand up to them and see that justice was done. It took true courage to face down a town of vigilantes. I will be forever grateful to them and the rest of the seven who keep our town safe."

/

Nettie Wells spoke, as did her niece, Casey. Several others from Four Corners also told their stories of Vin Tanner and the seven. Each person who testified tried their best to convince the jury and Judge Fuller that Tanner was a good man who could not have killed Jess Kincaid. Until finally…

"Vin Tanner didn't kill Jess Kincaid." The statement was delivered with a flat certainty. Chris Larabee believed it and he expected others to believe. "I've been riding with Vin for over a year and there is no way that that man," Chris said, pointing toward Tanner, "would knowingly kill an innocent man just to collect a bounty." Larabee's tone was matter-of-fact and his dark gaze dared anyone to refute his words.

"Vin helped me save Nathan Jackson from hanging. He helped bring to justice the man who killed Mrs. Potter's husband. He helped bring down a corrupt prison warden who was imprisoning innocent travelers, including me, and sending ransom demands to their families. He's helped us catch some of the worst criminals to hit the territory in years. He's saved my life a dozen times.

"I would ride the river with him. I'd be honored to call him family."

Chris looked straight at Vin, his intense gaze portraying the truth of his words. He smiled at the shocked expression on Tanner's face, the tracker's wide eyes showing his shock. Slowly a smile crept onto Vin's face. His small nod to Larabee was returned as both acknowledged their connection.

"I trust Vin Tanner with my life," Chris continued. "I trust him with the lives of my friends. I only wish my son was still alive so that he could learn about life from Vin. I would have been proud for my boy to know him."

Vin turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Buck right behind him. Wilmington knew the depth of feeling that Chris had for Tanner in order to say what he had. Buck had been privileged to be in that spot for a long time and welcomed Vin there as well. He, too, wished that Adam could have met Vin. The kid would have enjoyed learning how to track from a man who had lived with Indians.

"I may not have known Vin Tanner for a long time," Larabee concluded, "but I know him well enough to know that he would never have killed Jess Kincaid."

Orrin Travis decided to let Chris' statement speak for itself. But Robert Traskey did not.

"Mr. Larabee," he began, pushing himself up from behind the table he was using. "I understand that you are a gunslinger."

"That's what some folks call me. I never did anything but defend myself against men trying to kill me."

"You're a hired gun."

Chris smiled. "I'm not the one on trial here, Mr. Traskey."

"Indeed you're not. But you're asking us to believe that Vin Tanner is an upstanding citizen. A man who has hunted men, lived with Indians. Your own reputation isn't of the high caliber. Why should we believe you?"

Chris smiled. "Mr. Traskey, I never professed to be a saint. But a man in my position has no need to lie. On the contrary, I've often been accused of being brutally honest, which doesn't always set well with people. Which is why I had to shoot some of them when they took offense."

Soft laughter rolled around the courtroom as Chris continued. "I've learned over the years how to read people, to be able to determine quickly who can and cannot be trusted. Vin Tanner has earned not only my trust but that of the people of Four Corners and of Judge Travis. Yes, he's been a bounty hunter. And he's lived with Indians. All that did was give him a greater appreciation for life. He's not perfect by any means. But he's not a cold-blooded killer either."

Traskey asked no further questions. Chris stepped down and walked back to the defendant's table. He put a hand on Vin's shoulder and squeezed.

"Thanks, Cowboy," Tanner told him.

"Anytime, pardner, anytime."

/

At the end of the day, Travis called his last witness. The accused took the stand in his own defense.

"I didn't shoot Jess Kincaid. I found him in the area where I had tracked Eli Joe to the morning before. He was dressed in a serape just like the one Eli Joe wore. I'd only seen Eli a couple times and even then it was from a distance. And this man looked like him, was wearing his clothes. I thought it was him. When I worked as a bounty hunter, I always did my best to verify the people I was bringing in. And I never, never, killed someone I didn't have to. Even when the poster said "Dead or Alive" I always tried to bring them in alive. The man I brought in was wearing clothes like Eli Joe always wore and he was lying on the ground next to the horse I'd been tracking for a month.

"I didn't know who killed Kincaid, but from the looks of the blood on the ground, he'd been there awhile. It wasn't till later that I figured it must have been Eli that killed him. Tell the truth, I was just grateful that whoever shot him must not have known about the bounty. So I put the body over back'a Eli Joe's horse and took it into town.

"I tried to explain to the Sheriff what happened, but he just kept yelling about Jess Kincaid and what a good man he was. He just wouldn't listen to me. At first, I didn't know what he was talking about. Not til some other feller came up and asked the sheriff what had happened to poor Jess and the sheriff telling the feller that I shot him! Well, I kept trying to tell him, I didn't shoot him, I just found him. But the sheriff just threw me in the jail cell." Vin looked down at his hands, which were folded on his lap.

"When he took me outside the next morning and them folks started coming after me with a noose, well I got scared. I know I shouldn'ta run, but I wasn't about to be strung up like some mangy dog for something I didn't do."

After several questions to clarify points from both defense and prosecution counsels, Travis turned to the judge.

"The defense rests, Your Honor."

"No!" a young voice cried out from behind the defense table.

"Billy! Shhh. Be quiet," Mary tried to tell the boy. But he jumped up from his seat and ran to his grandfather's side. "Grampa, you promised that I could be a karaker witness. I have to tell the judge about Vin."

Travis was flustered. "Excuse me, Your Honor. Billy, son, it's okay. Your mom and Mrs. Wells and the others already did that."

"But you didn't ask me!" Billy insisted, pleading with his grandfather for his chance to talk about Vin Tanner.

"Mr. Travis, I have no objection to hearing the boy's testimony," Traskey said with a smile. "If it's alright with His Honor."

"I think that'll be just fine," Fuller said. "Young man, do you have something to say to the court?"

Billy turned and faced the imposing man sitting behind the table. "Yes, Sir," he said meekly. Looking at Chris and Vin out of the corner of his eye, he saw Larabee wink at him, which gave him the confidence to stand up a little straighter in front of the man in charge of the trial.

"Well, son, don't just stand there. Come up here and take a seat."

The boy walked confidently to the witness chair and awkwardly climbed up. He turned to face the judge.

"Okay, son, first of all, what's your name?"

"Billy Travis."

"Well, Billy Travis, what would you like to tell us about Vin Tanner?"

"Well, sir…Your Honor…is that right, Grandpa?" his whispered, sneaking a peak at Orrin. The courtroom erupted in laughter.

"Yes, Billy, that's the correct title for the Judge." Travis grinned at his grandson then turned to look at Mary, who beamed proudly at her son.

Billy nodded and turned back to the judge. "Well, Your Honor, Vin is the best tracker in the whole world. And he fishes real good too. And he can shoot the wings off a fly from a mile away. But he wouldn't 'cause he says flies have a job to do, too. He says that even a fly is a wild creature and shouldn't be killed just for being a nuisance."

"So, does Mr. Tanner take you fishing, Mr. Travis?"

"Oh, yes sir, Your Honor, sir! Him and Chris both do. Sometimes we all go together. In fact I told Chris to invite Vin fishing when we get back home."

"Is that so? Well, then I guess you better continue then, so that we can finish up here."

"Well, my ma said that to be a karaker witness, it means telling good things about people."

"That's right."

"Well, I know that Vin is a good man. He helped Chris find the man that killed my pa. And he helped Mrs. Nettie save her farm. And he helps find people when they get lost. And he helps catch bad guys, like the gang that robbed the bank. And Your Honor sir, I just know he couldn't a killed that Mr. Kincaid."

"And how do you know that, Billy?"

"Cuz Vin wouldn'ta had to shoot him so many times. If he'd'a killed him, he woulda only had to shoot him once." The others starred at Billy in silence. No one had realized that Billy had been paying such close attention to the testimony. But he was right. Vin was such a good shot, if he had been the one to kill Kincaid, one shot would have been all that was needed and it would have been a clean shot to the head or the heart. That's how Tanner operated.

"And you know what else, Your Honor."

"No. What else, Billy?"

"Everybody in town really likes Vin. So many people wouldn't like him if he was a killer, would they? My ma likes him. And Miss Inez. And Mrs. Nettie. And Casey and Mrs. Potter and Mr. Baker at the blacksmith and…"

"I understand son. Is that all?"

"Yes sir. That's all." Billy turned around and faced front again.

"Okay, young Mr. Travis, thank you for your testimony. You may step down."

Billy climbed off the chair and walked back to his seat, smiling at Vin as he walked by. The tracker smiled back at him. Vin turned to look at Chris, his friend laying a hand on his shoulder.

As Billy was walking back to his chair, a commotion at the rear of the room caused everyone to turn around. Fuller smacked his cane on the table.

"Order in the court. What's the meaning of this disruption?"

"Sorry, Your Honor. I didn't mean to interfere with testimony, but I wanted to be sure I got here in time." A man was walking up the aisle toward the front of the makeshift courtroom. He was tall and muscular with black hair and dark eyes. On his left chest he wore a badge. He was dusty and he appeared exhausted. Several of the townsfolk appeared to recognize the man.

"What's your name, son?" Fuller asked.

"Pete Hawkins. Sheriff Pete Hawkins from Bitter Creek."

"And what is your interest in these proceedings?"

"I was a deputy here when Jess Kincaid was killed, sir." Chris and the others looked at the man in shock, not sure if this man could help Vin or hurt him. But from the earlier testimony, they knew that this man had tried to stop Vin from being lynched and they could only hope that his being in Tascosa was a good omen.

/

"So, Sheriff Hawkins, you were here when Vin Tanner escaped?" Travis asked.

"Yes, sir, I was. And I gotta tell ya, I'm kinda glad the man got away."

"Why is that, Sheriff?"

"Cause those men woulda hung him."

"What about Sheriff Butler? Surely he wouldn't have allowed that to happen."

"You gotta understand. Jess Kincaid was a friend of Zeke Butler's. And Kincaid didn't have many friends. He was quiet, kept to himself mostly. But he was friendly with some of the men in town, Zeke especially. When Tanner brought Jess' body in, Zeke about went crazy. He didn't want to hear anything that Tanner told him. He figured that if Tanner brought the body in, then Tanner musta killed 'im. He wouldn't listen to reason. He was willing to let those men hang Vin Tanner. That incident was the reason I left this town."

"What did you think about Tanner's story that he found the body?"

"Well, sir, I don't rightly know. But if he did mistake Jess Kincaid for Eli Joe, I can't say that it wouldn't have been an honest mistake."

"What makes you say that, Sheriff?" Travis asked.

Hawkins reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Travis. It was Eli Joe's wanted poster. Travis took a long look at it, then handed it to Traskey. The prosecutor just shook his head, not understanding the significance of the old poster. They had already known that Eli Joe was wanted for murder. He handed the poster to Judge Fuller.

"I took that poster off of Tanner when we arrested him. Ask anyone who knew Jess Kincaid who they think that looks like," Hawkins suggested. Judge Fuller stared at the paper, tapping his fingers on the table. He folded it in half, then gestured for Travis to continue. Vin and Chris exchanged confused looks.

"Sheriff Hawkins, do you think Vin Tanner killed Jess Kincaid?" Travis asked.

"Well, sir, I couldn't say for sure, ya understand. But if he killed that man, than he is by far the neatest bounty hunter I ever met."

Chris looked back over his shoulder at Buck and the others, seeing a smile on their faces at hearing their friend described as 'neat'. Tanner wasn't a dirty man, but he often managed to look scruffy and bedraggled even right after a bath.

"I don't understand."

"Well, after we put him in jail, I was putting his weapons up. Whenever I did that I always emptied them first. When I opened up Tanner's firearms, I noticed how clean they were. The barrels looked like they'd been wiped down and oiled. There was some dust, of course. Being on the trail and all, that was understandable. But this was a man who knew how to take care of his weapons. And those weapons hadn't been fired that morning. Unless he was so meticulous that he cleaned them before he brought the body in."

Traskey questioned him next.

"Sheriff, is it possible that Mr. Tanner, knowing he'd killed the wrong man, cleaned his weapons in order to throw off any suspicions. He did run from custody, Sheriff, stealing a horse in the process."

"Yes, sir, he took a horse. But it was more borrowing than stealing." Hawkins smiled at Tanner.

"I don't understand," Traskey said.

"Well, sir, the horse came back. I reckon that once he got away, he released it, figuring it would return home. And it did. I found him outside the jail the next morning. Kinda glad too. That horse was the best one I ever had."

He smiled again as Vin head snapped up and his eyes locked with the former deputy's. Vin dropped his eyes, shaking his head and hiding his face in his hands. Chris heard him mumble something about being so stupid to steal a lawman's horse.

"So, Mr. Tanner stole _your_ horse?"

"Yes, sir. And my saddlebags and my rifle. And I imagine the jerky that I always kept in the saddlebags was breakfast for him that morning." Hawkins' voice sound more amused than angry. Vin just shook his head. The deputy had just branded him a horse thief. "And Tanner did make good on the rifle."

"How so?"

"Well, he did leave an awful nice Winchester behind when he rode out. I started using it. I still carry that rifle. It's been good to me." Hawkins turned toward Judge Fuller. "Your Honor, I can't say for sure if Tanner killed Kincaid. But after all this went down, I did some checking, talked to several lawmen who'd dealt with Tanner in the past. I learned a couple things about him. One is that he never killed a man who didn't resist. And when he did kill, it didn't overdo it. He didn't use more shots than were necessary."

Hawkins fingered his hat. "When Sheriff Michaels wired me and told me that Tanner had come back on his own to stand trial, well I had to come and say my peace. I can't say for sure if Vin Tanner killed Jess Kincaid. If my opinion matters at all, I'd say he probably didn't. I reckon a guilty man would have kept on running."

/


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER 5_**

"I would like to recall George Harper," Travis said. Fuller looked at Traskey, who had no objection, so Harper was brought back to the witness stand. Travis took the wanted poster and unfolded it, then re-folded it a different way so that only the drawn face could be seen. He handed it to Harper.

"Do you recognize this man, Mr. Harper?"

The merchant looked at the paper and then back to Travis. He cleared his throat.

"Mr. Harper? Do you know him?"

"No, I don't know him," Harper said hesitantly.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Harper?" Travis asked with a smile.

"Well, it a…well, it looks a bit like Jess," he said quietly.

"Speak up, Mr. Harper," Judge Fuller said.

"It, a…it looks like…" He stopped, then looked at the men on the jury. "It looks a little bit like Jess Kincaid," he said loudly.

"Your honor," Travis turns to the judge, "I would like to show this paper to the jury members." At Fuller's nod, Orrin walked over to the jury box and handed the paper to the first man there, who glanced at the paper and passed it on. As it made its way from man to man, those who had known Kincaid were shocked at the resemblance. When the paper was handed back to Travis, he walked over and handed it to Larabee.

Chris looks down at the wanted poster. He recognized it as Eli Joe. He looked at Vin.

"Kincaid looked a lot like him, except without the fur on his face and a few years older," Tanner explained quietly. Chris nodded and laid the paper onto the table in front of him.

Travis then called up several other townspeople who had known Jess Kincaid. Almost all of them recognized the similarity between Eli Joe and Jess Kincaid.

Travis finally rested his case.

/

"Vin, the jury's in." Tanner looked up. Chris and Michaels were standing outside the cell.

"Already?"

"Yeah. C'mon, Cowboy." Michaels unlocked the door and Vin stood up, grabbing his hat from the bed next to him. He walked slowly from the cell and followed the two men outside. Buck, JD, Josiah and Ezra waited there, ready to escort him to court. He took a deep breath and started across the street.

Chris could tell he was scared. Hell Chris was scared, too. This was his friend's life on the line here. The next few minutes would determine whether he'd hang or not. And Larabee wasn't sure if he could allow that to happen if the jury found Vin guilty. He didn't know what he'd do, but he knew he wouldn't let his friend hang.

Everyone settled into their seats. Chris looked over at Vin and could see the man's hands shaking, not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. Chris reached over and lay a hand on Vin's forearm. "It'll be okay, Cowboy."

Vin glanced up and gave him a small smile. He closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"Order in the court. Will the defendant please rise."

Vin stood on trembling legs. He didn't turn around and face the others. He didn't want them to see how really frightened he was. He swallowed and took another deep breath, grateful for the powerful presence of the man beside him.

"Gentleman of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" Judge Fuller asked.

The foreman stood. "We have Your Honor."

"Read your verdict."

The man cleared his throat. "We the jury, find the defendant Vin Tanner, Not Guilty."

The courtroom erupted in both cheers and yells of anger. Vin blinked, a confused look on his face. "Chris?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, Vin?" he replied, a huge smiled on his face.

"What did he say?"

"Not guilty. You're a free man, Tanner."

Vin trembling legs finally gave out on him and he sat heavily in his chair, Chris following him down, his hand on Vin's shoulder in support. Larabee could see the tears in Vin's eyes and knew there were a few in his own.

Buck and the others reached over and slapped Vin on the back in celebration. The Judge hammered his cane on the table, calling for order, and the room finally quieted down.

"Mr. Tanner, I can only add that I wholeheartedly agree with the jury's decision." Vin gazed at the judge, his face still registering shock. "I will sign an order today that the bounty be lifted and no further charges await you. Congratulations, Mr. Tanner. You're a free man. And I must say, I respect the fact that you came here voluntarily to face this charge of murder, knowing that you could have ended up on the wrong end of a rope. Judge Travis was right to put his faith in you. I'm honored to have met you."

The Judge banged his cane on the table once more. "Court is adjourned. Barkeep, open up the bar!"

The group from Four Corners surrounded the defense table. Nettie and Mary, Casey and Mrs. Potter all gave Vin hugs and kissed him on the cheek. Billy tried to unsuccessfully work his way through the adults, finally crawling under the table until he stood next to Tanner.

Pulling on his shirtsleeve, Billy got the tracker's attention. "Hey, Vin, hey Vin." Tanner turned to Billy with a huge smile on his face. It was finally beginning to sink in. He grabbed Billy and pulled him into a hug. "Did I do good, Vin? Was I a good karaker witness?"

"You were the best, Billy. I think you're testimony probably saved my life." The young boy beamed at this praise from one of his heroes. "Thank you for coming all the way here to help me." Vin looked around at all the people surrounding him. "Thank all of you for coming here. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Son, consider this repayment for everything you and the others have done for Four Corners," Nettie said, tears streaming down her face. "There was no way we were about to let you go through this alone." Vin stood, still holding Billy and pulled Nettie Wells into a hug, murmuring "thank you", over and over again.

"I don't know about you, Cowboy, but I could use a drink," Chris commented.

"First rounds on me," Orrin Travis stated. "Buck, go grab us some glasses and a couple of bottles of their best whiskey." The Judge handed Wilmington a handful of coins and he and JD headed for the bar. As the others headed for a table, Vin grabbed the Orrin's arm.

"Judge Travis, thank you. You don't know what this means to me."

"Oh, I think I do, Vin and I'm glad I could be a part of it. Now let's celebrate!"

A cheer rose up from everyone surrounding the sharpshooter. Tears and whiskey were the order of the day. And sarsaparilla for Billy and the ladies.

"Tanner!" The group turned and looked at Harper and Butler. It was Butler who spoke. "You bastard! I know you killed Jess. You got away with murder, you lying sack of shit."

"Enough, Mr. Butler," Orrin Travis said. "He was tried and acquitted. You got your day in court and the jury found him not guilty. It's over."

"It ain't over for Jess's family. They've had a hard time of it since he died. And it's this man's fault."

"No. Eli Joe killed Jess Kincaid," Tanner stated. "And Eli is dead now, so Mr. Kincaid's family won't get the justice they deserve. But no matter what, I know that I didn't kill him. I'm sorry for what his family is going through, but I didn't kill him."

"Damn it! Somebody has to pay for what happen to Jess!"

"There's nobody left to pay that debt, Mr. Butler," Larabee said. "Eli Joe is dead. I shot him myself. So you can at least tell his wife that the man who killed her husband paid with his life. I lot of folks don't even get that much satisfaction." His friends knew that Chris was thinking of his own family and the fact that the person who'd ordered them killed was still out there somewhere. "Now, we understand that you're upset, but justice has been done here and we'd appreciate it if you would just leave us alone."

Butler's hand hovered over his gun, but a hand on his arm kept him from pulling it from the holster. He looked over and saw George Harper.

"Leave it be, Zeke. Ain't nothing you can do."

The former sheriff looked around and saw the others watching him. Butler lingered for several more seconds, then pushed Harper away and stalked out the door. Harper followed him a bit more slowly, along with several others who had been vocal in their belief that Tanner had been guilty. None of them wanted to stick around to watch the celebration.

/

Three days later, Tanner, Larabee and Wilmington were getting ready to leave. The others had left the day after the trial was over. But the three men waited until all the paperwork had been completed and notifications made to surrounding areas.

"Sheriff Michaels said to give you this," Horace said, handing a piece of paper to Tanner. "It's the judge's verification that you've been cleared."

"Thanks." Vin folded the paper and slid it into an inside pocket of his coat.

"Where's the Sheriff?" Chris asked. "We wanted to say goodbye."

"He got called out on something this morning."

"Well, tell him thanks," Chris said as he untied his horse's reins from the hitching post. He reached a hand out to the deputy. "And thank you for all your help, too, Deputy Biggles. If you or the Sheriff every need our help, you just let us know."

Horace shook hands with all three men. "I'm glad I could help, Mr. Larabee," the young man replied. "It's nice to see a happy ending to this. Have a good trip back."

The trio from Four Corners mounted up. Turning their horses to the north, the waved and rode out of town.

After riding for about thirty minutes, they heard someone shouting up ahead of them. Exchanging quick looks, they urged their mounts into a gallop. As they rounded a curve in the road, they heard a shot, then saw a man drop from a rock outcropping on their left, a rifle following to the ground.

All three men had their weapons out and pointed them at another man who moved to stand on top of the rock. They lowered the guns when they recognized Bo Michaels.

Buck jumped from his horse and ran to the unmoving body on the ground. Feeling no pulse, he turned the man over.

"Butler!" he exclaimed. Vin and Chris joined him.

"What the hell…" Chris began.

"Let me get my horse and I'll come down and explain," Michaels said.

Five minutes later the Sheriff rode up, pulling a second horse behind him. He dismounted and walked over to kneel down next to the dead man.

"What happened, Bo?" Larabee asked.

Michaels tiredly rubbed a hand across his face. "Damn it! He should have just dropped his rifle."

"Sheriff?"

Bo looked up. "Sorry. He was going to shoot Tanner. I tried to get him to give it up, but he wouldn't." The three men looked at each other in surprise.

"He tell you that?" Chris asked.

"He got liquored up last night, started spouting off to George Harper about how Tanner got away with murder and how he was going to rectify the problem this morning. He's been staying with George and his wife. When George woke up this morning, Butler was gone. And so was George's rifle. Harper got scared, came knocking on my door at dawn."

"How come Harper came to see you, Bo? I would have thought he'd have been happy to see Tanner shot down. He was almost as angry as Butler that Tanner was found innocent."

"George Harper is a hot-head, that's true. But he's all talk. He wouldn't really lift a finger to actually do anything. Plus, his wife would have talked some sense into him. She's not about to let him get talked into something that would get him killed or jailed."

While he talked, the Sheriff and Buck lifted the now-deceased former Sheriff and slung the body across his horse. "I went looking for Butler, but his horse was gone. So I figured if he was gonna try anything, he was going to wait until you got out of town. This was the most logical place," he said, pointing to the rocks above him.

"When I found him, he was crouched behind a tree, aiming at the road," Michaels continued as he grabbed a rope from his own horse then returned and began tying the body down to the saddle. "I yelled at him to drop it, he refused. As I moved, he turned and aimed at me, yelling about seeing justice done for Jess Kincaid. I fired first." He walked over and picked up the rifle that had fallen with Butler.

"Sorry you had to kill him, Sheriff," Vin said. "But I'm grateful it's him and not me." Chris and Buck nodded their agreement.

"You get that letter from the Judge?" Bo asked.

"Yes, sir," Tanner replied, patting his coat where the letter was. He looked at Butler's body. "Can't say I'm sorry to leave this place. No offense."

"None taken," Michaels said. "Just be careful. No telling how many bounty hunters are out there with your poster. Some may shoot first."

"We'll watch his back," Chris assured him.

"Like always," Buck added.

"I don't doubt it," Michaels said with a smile.

"You need us to stick around?" Larabee asked, gesturing to the body.

"Naw, I can handle it. You boys got a long ride ahead of you. No use delaying it."

"I am glad we had the chance to say goodbye. Even if I don't like the reason we had to meet out here," Chris told the Sheriff.

"Yeah, me too. Tanner, good luck to you," he said, shaking hands with the sharpshooter.

"Thanks for all your help, Sheriff," Vin said. His gratitude was echoed by Wilmington and Larabee.

The four men mounted their horses, Michaels grabbing the reins of Butler's horse. The Sheriff nodded farewell, and rode off toward Tascosa.

The others watched him for a few seconds. Chris looked over at Vin, a grin slowly growing on his face.

"Well, you ready to go home, Cowboy?"

Vin smiled. "More than ready, Cowboy," Vin replied.

"You just call me a cowboy, Cowboy?"

"Not me, Cowboy."

"I'm going to shoot both you Cowboys," Buck threatened.

"Who you calling a Cowboy?" both men asked in unison.

Buck shook his head and nudge his horse forward. "Why do I put up with you two?"

"Whatsa matter, Bucklin? Don't ya love us no more?" Vin asked. Tanner pulled his horse close to Buck's and leaned over, puckering up and making kissing noises at the big man.

"Get outta here," Buck said, pushing the smaller man away.

"I don't think he likes your long hair, Vin." Chris asked, pulling up on the other side of the mustache-wearing gunfighter.

"Now don't you start, Chris," Buck said, slapping at Chris' shoulder and trying not to grin.

"You know, Tanner, I don't think Buck likes us anymore. Maybe we should just leave him here."

"I reckon. But who's gonna tell Lizzie?"

"Lizzie was last week, Vin. This week it's Hannah."

"Oh, right. Hannah. Well, I s'pose I could tell her. Reckon she'd need comfortin'?" Vin asked, leaning forward to look at Chris across Buck's body.

"Reckon she might. You up for it?"

"I Reckon."

"Now you just leave Hannah alone, Vin," Buck insisted. "If anyone's gonna be comforting her it'll be me."

"Ya know, Bucklin, if you're there, she might not need comfortin' after all."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that, Vin," Chris said.

Tanner nodded, thoughtful. "Yeah, you're prob'ly right. After all, she has had to put up with him. I bet she could use some time away. Maybe when we get back I'll call on her. Reckon she might like someone less talkative for a change?"

"Reckon she might," Chris said, nudging his horse ahead. Vin joined him, leaving Buck a few feet behind them.

"Now, lookee here, Tanner. Hannah just ain't your type. She likes 'em tall."

"All the same height lying down, Bucklin."

Chris laughed. "He's gotcha there, Buck."

"Don't help him out, Chris. Now, look, Vin, I've been working on Hannah for over a month and a finally got her to agree to let me take her on a picnic. So you just find your own gal."

Vin just laughed and kneed his horse into a gallop. "Wonder if Hannah might like a man without a caterpillar on his upper lip," Tanner called back over his shoulder as he rode off.

"Vin Tanner, you get back here!" Buck yelled. "You and me gotta have a talk about this!"

Larabee laughed again and urged his horse faster, catching up with Tanner.

"Larabee! Don't encourage him! Larabee!"

Buck started after the pair, their laughter echoing off the rocks.

/


	6. Chapter 6

**_EPILOGUE_**

Chris, Vin and Buck rode into Four Corners two weeks later. They'd taken their time getting home, stopping to relax along the way. And giving Vin as much time as he wanted in the wide open spaces, away from any jail cell or town.

As the men and horses moved down the main street that afternoon, several people on the boardwalk called out hello and waved at them. As they neared the saloon more and more townsfolk gathered along the street. Then they noticed a huge banner stretched across the street.

**_WELCOME HOME, VIN! _**

Someone began to clap, then others joined in until everyone along the street was clapping. Vin pulled his hat down low over his face, embarrassed by the attention.

"Vin! Vin! You're back!" yelled Billy Travis as he ran out the door of the Clarion newspaper office and ran down the boardwalk, keeping up with the mounted men. The three men reined in when they got to the saloon.

Chris and Buck dismounted and started walking onto the boardwalk before they realized that Tanner hadn't joined them.

"Vin, you coming?" Chris asked. Tanner looked around at all the people, everyone looking at him and smiling.

"Ah, maybe I'll just head out for a few days." He looked uncomfortable. Larabee knew that Vin didn't like crowds, even more so when he was the center of attention. But the townspeople had come out to welcome him back and had gone to a lot of trouble.

He knew it would be uncomfortable for the tracker, but felt it would let the man know exactly how the town felt about him. He walked back to Tanner and talked quietly to him, so that no one else could hear their conversation.

"C'mon, Cowboy. Everybody went to a lot of trouble to put this shindig together. You don't want to disappoint them, do ya? Mary and Nettie and the others worked real hard to have everything ready. Trust me, it'll be okay. Everybody just wants to celebrate with ya."

Vin looked down at him, then at the expectant faces around them. Mary, Nettie, Billy, Casey, the Judge, his fellow peacekeepers, were all there of course. So were many of the folks that lived in town. What surprised him were the folks that lived outside the town limits, but had made the journey in to welcome him home.

The Baxter family was there. He remembered helping Mr. Baxter round up some cattle that had gotten loose during a storm. And the Fergusons, new to the area, were saved from bandits when Vin and Buck, who were out riding patrol, spotted the family being robbed and arrested the men involved.

Vin spotted several others in the crowd that he and his friends had assisted since they'd gotten together to keep the peace in town. Feeling a hand on his leg, he glanced back down to see Chris still standing next to him.

"You deserve this, Vin. You've done a lot for the people of this town and they're all happy for you. Let 'em give ya this. They're trying to repay you for everything you done for 'em." A long look passed between the two men before Vin nodded and slid out of the saddle.

"Mr. Tanner, I'd be honored to take care of your horse for ya," a young man told him. Tommy Beecher was the youngest son of the man who ran the livery and like Billy Travis, he looked up to Vin, Chris and the other men who kept the law in his town.

"Much obliged, Tommy," Tanner told the teen. "Would you mind taking Chris and Buck's horses too?"

"Sure, Mr. Tanner," the young man beamed, proud of the responsibility of caring for the horses of men he so admired. He gathered up the reins of all three mounts and started down the street, followed by two of his friends, eager to help.

Vin stepped onto the boardwalk and followed Chris and Buck into the grange hall, a couple doors down from the saloon. Nathan, Josiah, JD and Ezra were right behind them. Inside the large room a couple dozen townspeople waited. The walls were decked out with streamers and several tables were filled with food. Vin stood and stared at the festive decorations.

"This is all for me?"

"Yep. Most of the people in town knew you were innocent, Vin," Josiah explained from behind him. "Since getting to know you, they knew that there was no way you could have killed that man. While we were riding back with Nettie and Mary, they got to talking about having a celebration. After we got back, they mentioned it to several others in town, and well, we decided to have a town party."

Vin turned in a circle, taking in all the decorations and watching the people fill up the room.

"Yeah, Vin," JD said. "Everyone in town has been working real hard to have it all ready by the time you got back. I spent all morning up on the hill south of town waiting to see some sign of you, then I raced back here so we could have it all ready by the time you rode into town."

"Even Ezra helped," Nathan added.

"Ezra?" Vin questioned as the three new arrivals turned and stared at the gambler.

"Menial labor, Ez?" Chris asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed, Mr. Larabee. On certain occasions, those deemed of particular importance, I find myself relishing the opportunity to assist in any way."

"So, this was important enough?" Vin asked quietly.

"Yes, Mr. Tan…Vin, very important," the southerner replied.

"Thanks, Ezra. It means a lot to me that you would get your hands dirty for my party," Tanner told him with a smile.

"My pleasure, Mr. Tanner."

The seven men sat down at the table in the middle of the room, the one that had been saved just for them. Inez, the beautiful Mexican bartender, carried a tray over to the table and set it down near Chris. Then she leaned over and kissed Vin on the cheek.

"Welcome home, Senor Vin." Tanner blushed, much to the delight of his friends.

Larabee grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the tray, while the others each grabbed a shot glass. The other men in the room gathered up their drinks.

"Inez, could you bring another glass please," Vin requested. "Judge, will you join us?" Six heads nodded in agreement. Travis smiled and walked forward, dragging a chair with him and settled in between Buck and Josiah.

Chris filled everyone's glass and the room fell quiet. He looked at Vin and raised his glass.

"A toast, to Vin Tanner. A sharpshooter with the eyes of an eagle. A tracker to rival any Indian scout I've ever met. And a friend as good as any I've ever had." Chris turned and smiled at Buck, who winked back at him in understanding. "And now, a free man, who never forgot what being a Tanner meant. Your ma would be proud of the man you've become. And I'm proud to call you friend." Chris slung his shot down.

"Hear, hear!" Buck yelled. A chorus of calls followed from around the room, voicing their agreement, and everyone emptied their glasses. Everyone but Vin.

"Drink up, Tanner," Chris said to the man sitting next to him. When Vin looked up, Chris saw the emotions in his eyes. "You okay there, Vin?"

"Yeah," he breathed softly. "Those were some real nice words you said, Chris. Thank you."

"So drink up," Larabee said, nudging the hand that held Vin's drink. Vin smiled and lifting his hand, emptied his own glass.

"Well, alright!" Buck said, slapping Vin on the back. "I'm starvin'! Let's eat!"

/

The next few hours were filled with good food and merriment. Many of the townsfolk made it a point to seek Vin out and tell him how grateful they were that things had turned out so well. Vin shyly excepted their congratulations while the others teased him every time one of the women kissed him or hugged him.

After the main party died down, the seven headed to the saloon. Ezra pulled out his ever-present deck of cards and began a game of poker with his friends. They played until the wee hours of the morning. Inez finally gave up trying to get them to go home. She left, handing the keys to Ezra with a request to lock up when they were through.

Chris leaned back in his chair and watched as Tanner raked in the pot. The tracker had won the last three hands. Larabee wasn't sure if he was just getting lucky or if Standish was shuffling the cards in Vin's favor. Judging by Vin's inebriated stated, he figured the gambler was being magnanimous.

But it didn't really matter to Chris, he was just happy to see his friend able to relax and let his guard down. Now that the bounty had been lifted, maybe Vin wouldn't have to live his life constantly looking over his shoulder for the next bounty hunter to come along.

Tanner had been drinking all night and was well on his way to a huge hangover come morning. None of the others had ever seen him drunk since it was unsafe for a hunted man to lose control like that.

Larabee had been nursing his own glass of beer, staying relatively sober. It gave him a chance to not only keep an eye on his friend, but relish this look at an intoxicated Tanner. He was a happy drunk, laughing and telling bad jokes. And Chris had never heard him laugh so much.

Now it looked like the tracker might be losing steam. Chris watched as Vin's eyes closed, his hands dropping into this lap, still holding his cards. His chin hit his chest, the movement walking him from the doze. After the third time Chris reached over and pulled the cards out of Vin's slack grip and tossed them on the table.

"He folds," Larabee said. He stood up, bending down to grab Tanner's arm. "Let's go, Cowboy, time to get to bed."

Vin slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times, then focused on Larabee's face.

"Chriiiisssh! Chrish Larabeeeeeeeee! Hey pard." Vin's words were slurred and he had a huge smile on his face.

"Hey, Vin, I think it's time for you to turn in. Let's get you on your feet, okay."

"OOOOkay," Tanner said, but didn't move. Larabee shook his head and pulled on Tanner's arm. With his friend's help Vin got to his feet. Chris steadied him as he swayed then tried to take a step.

"Wait! Wait! Where's my hat?!" Vin cried.

"It's on your head, Vin," Chris answered, the others chuckling at the inebriated tracker.

"Oh. Okay," Vin said, taking another step before he stopped again. "You sure?"

Chris laughed. "Yeah, Pard, I'm sure."

"Well, awright then," Vin mumbled. The two men stumbled slowly toward the door.

"Hey, Chris, maybe we should put him in the clinic," Nathan suggested, joining the two men on their uneasy walk. "He's gonna have a helluva hangover in the morning'."

"Nothing to worry about, Nathan. I'm taking him to my room. I got everything I need to nurse him through a hangover. Believe me, I've been through this myself too many times to count."

The others nodded in agreement, each knowing that Larabee had done his share of hard drinking. Nathan bowed to his expertise.

"Alright, but you come get me if ya need me."

"I will, Nathan, thanks."

Just as the two men got to the door, Vin stopped. He looked at Chris with a shocked expression.

"Chris?"

"Yeah, Vin?"

"Am I dreamin'?"

"Nope, not yet. But soon, buddy, soon."

"Chris?"

"Yeah, Vin?" he asked again, using the same kind of patience he had always used with his son, Adam, when the boy had been at his most curious.

"It's real, isn't it?" Chris looked closely at his friend. Vin appeared almost sober, a serious expression on his handsome face.

"Is what real?"

Vin looked around, checking to see who was nearby. He lowered his voice a bit, but was still loud enough for the others to hear.

"I'm free? I'm really a free man, Chris?" He grabbed Larabee's shirt with both hands, his fists clenched tight, and stared at Chris, his eyes intense. "Please, Chris, tell me I ain't dreamin'," he pleaded.

Chris looked Vin directly in the eyes, wanted the younger man to see the truth there.

"You ain't dreaming, Vin. It happened. You were found innocent of murder. You are a free man, Tanner. A free man, ya hear me?"

"Free? No more boun'y?" Vin asked.

"That's right, Vin, no more bounty."

Several long seconds passed with Vin's now unfocused eyes staring at Chris' face, as if he was trying to comprehend the meaning of Chris' statement.

"Chris!" he cried. "Chris, pardner! I'm a free man!" He grinned and, still clutching Chris' shirt, he shook the gunfighter, almost pulling them both off balance.

Larabee grabbed his wrist to stop the movement. "Yep, you're free. You're also very drunk. So how about we get you to my room so you can sleep it off?"

"I'm no' drunk, Larabee," the tracker said, smiling. "I don't git drunk."

"You don't, huh," Chris said, glancing at the others seated around the table, all of whom were grinning at the two men standing by the door. "Well, I hate to tell you, pardner, but you been drinking all night and I am an expert here. You are drunk."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

Chuckling, Chris released Vin's hands from his shirt. "I'm sure. But it's okay, you had good reason."

"I did?"

"Yep."

"Wha' reason?" he asked confused. The other five men burst out laughing.

"Oh, Chris, you got your hands full with that one," Buck stated.

"Who would have thought our normally taciturn tracker would be so verbose a drunkard," Ezra remarked. The others burst into another bout of laughter.

"What?!" Vin asked, turning his face to look at his laughing compadres. "Whatzo funny?"

"You are, Vin," JD said as he stood and walked toward the pair. "We've been celebrating all night because you're a free man. Remember?"

"Oh. Oh yeah," he said, smiling again. "Hey, Chris! Didja hear? I'm free. No more boun'y hunners chasin' me."

"Yeah, I heard," Chris chuckled. "Now, let's get some sleep, so you can be up before dawn tomorrow. You got early patrol."

"Huh. Patrol? Oh, yeah." Vin smiled then. "Night, boys," he said, reaching up to tip his hat and missing, twice. "Hey, where's m' hat?"

Chris grabbed the brim of this hat and pulled it down over his eyes. "Right here, Vin, right here."

'Okay. Thanks, Chrish. You're a goo' frien'."

"You too, pardner, you too." Larabee slipped Vin's arm over his shoulder and the two men walked out into the night. Behind them, the other five returned to their card game. They laughed when they heard Vin again from outside the door.

"Hey, Chrish, Chrish, I'm free, pardner."

"Yeah, Vin, you're free."

Shaking his head, Buck ante'd up. "Yep, Larabee's got his hands full with that one."

"Yep," Josiah said. "And ain't it great to see."

The others nodded and continued their game.

"I'll take two."

"I'll see your nickel and raise you a nickel."

"Geez, Ezra, this is a really crappy hand…."

/ THE END /


End file.
